


Where the Heart Lies (A Pride and Prejudice variation)

by whiteravenwrites17



Category: Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2020-06-30 05:41:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 33,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19846771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiteravenwrites17/pseuds/whiteravenwrites17
Summary: A short Pride and Prejudice novella now completed.When Pemberely Works helps a famous hotel association, Will Darcy and Charlie Bingley find themselves meddled with the Bennet family. Pride and Prejudice modern au with a twist.





	1. Chapter 1

“I hate you for this you know,” Will Darcy told his best friend, Charlie. 

  


“To have fun?” Charlie asked. 

  


“I hate meeting new people,” Darcy replied as he got into the car.

  


“I need you as a wingman so I could meet Jane.”

  
Darcy smirked at his friend's obvious infatuation with Jane Bennet, the girl he had been texting for the past few months. Charlie and Jane met once at a meeting in Manhattan. They had been texting back and forth for the past three months waiting for the perfect opportunity to meet. They would meet at Jane’s sister Mary’s wedding. Jane’s mother was expecting and hoping soon when she could meet Charlie. Even though Charlie felt the awkwardness of Mrs. Bennet blatant matchmaking skills, he will overlook that and get to know Jane better. 

Darcy cared too much about his friend not to go with Charlie. He had been grieving since his father died last year. Darcy was texting his sister Georgia, checking up to see how she was doing since the incident with his ex friend George Wickham happened last year. After just hanging up the phone in time to see Caroline Bingley, Charlie’s dreaded sister sitting next to him. 

  


Too distracted by Georgia to care about Caroline’s effervescence flirting, he gave her a curt nod as Charlie told him in the front seat about the Bennet family. There were many of them as Darcy reflected. 

Pemberley Works was hosting a gathering at Netherfield, a hotel owned by his friend and his family. The Bingleys had owned hotel for at least now two hundred years; he hadn’t told Jane who he was, because he wanted her to know him for him and not for his money. Darcy, feeling the uncomfortable stare of photographers and people, moved his way through the crowd. 

  


Caroline looked towards the security guard and asked them to clear a pathway for them to enter. She took Darcy’s arm and her brother’s as they walked into Netherfield. The company stopped and stared, and even this one particular strange looking girl, who had been talking with her friends. She saw him and he froze; she was unusual looking and had plenty of men had been whispering behind her saying she was stunning but other men were looking at her sister. 

  
Jane gave a small quick hello to Charlie as the two went off to talk about something. Darcy was standing there, and even though he wanted to talk to Lizzie, he lost all words. 

  
“Do you want to dance?”

  
“Not if I can help it,” he replied as she walked away. 

  
____________

  
_A few hours ago…._

“Who is this guy?” Lizzie said grabbing one of the tabloids in the common room. 

“He’s Will Darcy, he’s met the Queen of England and Prince Charles,” her older sister, Jane said as she walked in. 

  
“So?” Lizzie asked. 

  
“So, he’s well known in the business world. He’s the CEO of Pemberley Works, the multimedia company that makes graphics for Tumblr and Pinterest.  You should know if your on Pinterest all the time.”

Lizzie laughed that her sister knew so much about all of her boyfriend's friends, considering he had only met her once but they had been texting back-and-forth non-stop. Jane and Charlie probably thought they would try to set Lizzie up with Will Darcy. “Jane, are you trying to set me up?”

  


“No,” Jane replied innocently. “but Charlie has asked me to meet him at one of his hotels for the grand opening, and Darcy and his friends might be there. Just please at least talk to Charlie, he has heard so much about you.”

  


“I hate you for being my sister sometimes you know that?” Lizzie asked.

  


“Yes,” Jane laughed. “yes I know. Here, I dug out one of your old party dresses.”

  


Lizzie looked at her cocktail dress, it was slim, tight and held her figure well. She hadn’t worn it since their parents renewed their vows. She honestly hated the color pink, but it was pale, like a rose. As she put the slip on first, she put the dress on second and applied lip gloss. She loved the feeling it gave her, unfortunately; it felt overpowering and wonderful to feel so beautiful. 

As Jane and Lizzy made their way into the room, a man, a very handsome and attractive man standing next to Charlie was looking at her. She wanted to look him too, there was so much tension built between them, she didn’t want to look away. It was Jane made Lizzie her wing-woman that she met Will Darcy. 

And he was so rude. She walked off, after asking him to dance and saw her best friend and film editor in training, Charlotte. “Charlotte, you would never believe what Will Darcy said to me.”

  


As Lizzie grieved to her best friend while Jane was hopelessly in love dancing a slow dance with Charlie, she pulled her best friend as far away from Darcy as possible. She watched as Jane and Charlie getting up to dance one dance after another. If she didn’t have a boyfriend she could at least live vicariously through her sister. After the slow pop song stopped, Charlie went to get some refreshments as Jane took Lizzie’s hands. “Lizzie, I can’t breathe, I’ve been laughing so hard. Lizzie, I like him so much he’s been with me all night. What time is it?”

Lizzie grabbed her phone and saw it was nearly eleven. “Aren’t we going home soon to be with Lydia?”

“Oh god sake’s stop worrying about Lydia and dance with Charlie he looks like he misses you.”

Jane squeezed her sister’s hand with an excited squeeze and went back to Charlie and his sisters. Caroline and Louisa seemed to like Jane as they all seemed to be huddled in a corner. Lizzie, in the corner of her saw Darcy looking at her. Darcy seemed so stern and aloof. 

It was then when Lizzie went to talk with Charlotte, that she overheard Charlie and Will talking about Jane. 

  


“I knew Jane was cool, I like her a lot,” Charlie said to Darcy who was leaning against the wall, looking very uncomfortable.

  


Darcy gave his friend a stern gaze. “You just met her.”

  


“Well, you know we were communicating before this.”

  


“Just don’t fall too hard,” Darcy warned him. Charlie looked around to Lizzie and gave Darcy a nudge. 

  


“What do you think of Lizzie? I saw you two were looking at each other”.

“No one has asked her to dance, and to me she seemed very odd.”

  


“Darcy, come on, man. Give her a chance. She’s nice, I’ve been talking with Jane about her.She’s a writer, and she’s very prolific.”

  


“How come you know so much about her?” Darcy asked, curious. He didn’t know much about what Jane and Charlie had talked about in the past several months. 

  


“Jane told me, listen just dance with her. I hear she’s just as stubborn as you are.”

  


“I don’t know her, and your sister is dancing with someone else. You know how I hate meeting new people. Go to Jane and have fun all right?”

  


Charlie nodded as he saw Lizzie, his eyed widened in fear. “Do you think she heard?”

“I didn’t even know she heard, there are a million girls with the same hair color, how am I supposed to know?” Darcy asked as Lizzie sniffled a laugh and walked passed them. 

_Million girls with the same hair color? That was his excuse? Pathetic._

____________________________

Going back to their separate dorm rooms, Jane knocked on her door and came in to spend a couple of minutes with her. “Lizzie, are you in bed yet?”

Lizzie, writing on her laptop opened her door for her sister. “Charlotte told me you overheard Charlie and Will talking, and what he said. You okay?”

“I’m fine now that I got away from the douchebag like Will Darcy. I really don’t care that he’s one of the youngest CEO’s in the country.”

“I don’t think you’ll ever see him again anyhow. Charlie and I were really looking forward to you two getting along.”

“You two are really sweet and I appreciate the effort, but I rather be on my computer.”

Jane overlooked from Lizzie’s shoulder, seeing the laptop she looked that Lizzie was posting a long post on tumblr. Lizzie was a very sensitive person, judgmental sometimes especially when first impressions go the wrong way. If the world knew that twenty-eight year old Will Darcy was a snob, Jane was curious to know how he would react. 

“Lizzie, are you going to post that?”

Lizzie looked at the post and shrugged. “I was upset when I wrote it, but I don’t know if I’m going to.”

“Good,” Jane replied with a curt nod. “now go to sleep my night owl.”

“Good night.”

As Lizzie went to bed that night, she left her laptop open, maybe in the morning she would decide. She was still upset, still thinking about how rude he was. Never mind that he couldn’t see her, he couldn’t just talk about people behind their backs whenever he wanted. As she twirled in her bed thinking about him, she accidentally hit the post button.A day later people had screenshotted her post and even posted it to facebook and twitter and even tumblr. Sooner or later the world knew that William Darcy was publicly known to be a douchebag. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New chapter :)

“Are you kidding me?” Darcy asked Charlie as he looked over at his friend’s computer. “I can’t believe she would do that.”

“She did,” Charlie said as Caroline looked at the computer.

“That little twerp.”

“Well, there’s no need to call her that,” Darcy said, giving a sharp look to Caroline.

“Do you think she knows it would go viral like this?” Charlie asked.

“Oh she knew,” Darcy smirked. “that’s why she did it, she’s smart.”

_______________

“Holy shit, what have I done?” Lizzie asked as she checked her phone. Jane walked with her as she shows her the first few words of the article as they took out their school i. d. Jane’s mouth fell open as she mumbled the head title to herself.

_Will Darcy, famous CEO of Pemberley Works was humiliated on social media. Through a text post on the famous social media website known as Tumblr (Yahoo Inc.). The author wrote_

_throughly aggressive account of her unfortunate encounter with Will Darcy, and the post was made publicly known. Friends and many people who had grown with Darcy had known him to be understood as his shyness is mistaken for being distant and aloof, the author of the post had other ideas._

“At least they didn’t mention your name,” Jane said as Lizzie took a delicious bite of a red apple.

“Well now, your boyfriend is best friends with Will Darcy, I was wrong, I have to face him, eventually.”

“So you’re sorry this is now worldwide news?”

“No, it was a happy accident,” Lizzie replied with a smirk.

“Poor guy, Charlie tells me Darcy is socially awkward, Charlie says he normally very shy.”

“Well, that comes from a lack of effort in communication and practice and if I ever meet him again, I’ll make sure that I tell him.”

“Oh, please don’t,” Jane pleaded as Lizzie walked to her to her class. “I would like for you and Darcy to get along.”

“But then I would have to talk to him,” Lizzie pouted petulantly.

“Would you, please?”

Lizzie couldn’t resist Jane’s pouty words, she really liked Charlie and she would hate if she had stood in between them.She nodded quietly and walked into the classroom building.

_________

Darcy, Charlie, Caroline and Louisa had gone to a bar in town frequently known to be owned by their friend Carter who had inherited the bar from his father. It was a family-owned business and was originally a speakeasy. It interested Darcy about the history, and on the back wall was a small written paragraph about the place. Charlie pulled him away and unfortunately found himself in the center of the seats with Caroline pawing him every few minutes.

Darcy shifted uncomfortably and saw in the corner of his eye a familiar brown haired woman drinking at the island seats laughing with a shorter, rounder other girl. When she turned he realized it was Lizzie Bennet no doubt. She was wearing a tight skirt and laughing at something her sister said. Caroline leaned way to close for him to be comfortable. “Who are you looking at?”

“I’ve been thinking about Lizzie, Jane’s sister.”

“Oh,” Caroline replied disappointed. “not someone else?”

“No, Lizzie is beautiful tonight, don’t you think?”

Darcy heard his friend smirk behind him. He could always tell when Charlie was mocking him. Even thought Lizzie did a horrible thing, he didn’t think she would have done it on purpose. She curled her long brown hair; the ringlets flowed down her back and even though the electronic music bothered him he couldn’t stop looking at her.

Later, when the music and quieted down a bit, Darcy was being teased by Louisa and Charlie. He knew Caroline and Louisa almost as long as he had known Charlie, when they were growing up together. The Bingleys had always been friends of the Darcy family, since the early twentieth century ever since they had come to America from England. The Darcy family had been in America since the Protestants travelled from England. They were a well-respected family and known to be very proud and Darcy’s mother was too.

He wanted to talk to her. No _,_ he _needed_ to talk to her.

Darcy didn’t know how to talk to women, and that was partly Charlie’s fault, his friend respected him too much. “Charlie..”

Charlie looked up and whispered through the commotion: “What?”

“Can you help me talk to Lizzie?”

“Seriously?” he asked with a teasing smile. Darcy had never learned to laugh at himself and he hated being teased, although Gigi was an exception.

Darcy gave a small shy nod as Charlie walked ahead and whispered in Jane’s ear. They had walked away, talking as much as possible. Darcy hoped this was Charlie’s ‘go ahead’. Shuffling his feet quietly he walked over to Lizzie, who was watching Jane from afar.

Lizzie jumped at his presence. “Darcy, you scared the shit out of me.”

“Oh,” he said, looking down at his feet. “I’m sorry.”

“I would tell you that the post I made was out of anger. I didn’t mean to post it, I fell asleep with the computer on.”

“Don’t worry about it. I enjoyed reading it. It made me feel as though I was in your shoes.”

“Don’t they look cute together?” Lizzie asked, changing the subject.

Darcy looked over at Jane and Charlie, making out it seemed. “Yes, Charlie means the world to me, he’s practically my brother.”

“Good,” she replied as Charlie and Jane had made their way over to talk to them.

_________

It confused Lizzie to think of Darcy, maybe Jane was right about him being socially awkward. Even for a moment she believed she was wrong in her opinion. She always trusted that her own opinion was the best estimation about someone’s character. Darcy had surprised her last night, even though he seemed so uncomfortable he attempted to talk. 

That was only one time when he attempted to be nice to her, and she never wished to know that pleasure again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments or kudos :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update here's chapter three. Charlotte and Lizzie discuss Charlie and Jane's relationship and Lizzie goes to Netherfield.

“Darcy surprised me last night,” Lizzie said to Charlotte as they were walking together.

“Really?” Charlotte asked with an eyebrow.

“Not like that, Charlotte have a pure mind for once. I just mean he just came up and started talking to me. We were watching Jane and Charlie just dancing and making out. _Excessively.”_

_“_ Aww,” Charlotte said as she took her coffee.

“It’s sweet, but it only reminded me that I’m alone. I’m too opinionated for anyone, anyway.”

“What about Collins, the guy your mother tried to set you up with?” Charlotte asked as Lizzie took a sip of her coffee.

Lizzie sent a sharp glance across the table as Charlotte snickered. “The short guy, the one with the dorky glasses that doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘no’?”

“He’s not so bad, he can be sweet when you get to know him,” Charlotte replied demurely, looking down at a detail of the hardwood floors.

“How do you know?” Lizzie asked.

“It’s nothing, I just think you should give Darcy a chance and sometimes not rely on your first instinct.”

“That was harsh, Char.”

“You’re afraid of hearing the truth?” Charlotte asked with a quizzical look.

As if on queue Lizzie’s cracked phone lit up with a message from Jane as appeared from the door. She came in a bright and cheerful and was practically glowing. The sun lit her cheeks in the best way possible. Jane’s angelic presence lit Lizzie’s world like the sun rising on a pitch black world of judgement and confusion. Lizzie’s confusing thoughts of Darcy left her, as Jane began to talk of her time with Charlie. She went to the movies also with Caroline as Charlie’s sister told Jane of her brother’s embarrassing stories. Lizzie could tell Jane was happy, but were they even on a relationship yet? Lizzie knew her sister, Jane had put up her guard ever since Greg, her previous boyfriend had taken advantage of her. Jane was too sweet and had a general good notion of everyone including Greg, she repeatedly told Lizzie that he was just very overprotective of her. Lizzie told Greg he was emotionally manipulating Jane and that he should leave, Jane had been on her guard ever since.

“Are you even dating him?” Charlotte asked. Lizzie gave him a sharp nudge.

“No,” Jane replied. “not yet. We’re hanging out tomorrow so maybe I could ask him then.”

Lizzie lived through Jane’s blossoming romance. She considered herself to independent for men, even for Darcy even though she wondered why she had let him come into her mind. As she and Charlotte walked, she looked at her phone with a message from Jane, saying she would spend the day with Charlie to figure this whole thing out. Lizzie’s heart swelled as she waited to hear the details.

___________

Jane, taking her remote controller nearly knocked Charlie down on the floor. “Hey, I beat you, I won.”

“That is totally not fair, I demand a rematch Jane Bennet.”

Jane pretended to scowl at him and hit the Wii to reset, when she felt Charlie kiss her cheek. “Jane, I would like to be your boyfriend.”

Jane looked at him, still processing his words, pinching herself to make sure it wasn’t a dream. “Really?”

“Yes, please, Jane.”

She reached over and kissed him softly and tentatively. They talked for the rest of the evening, Jane just wanted Charlie for herself and was happy to find that Louisa and Caroline, occupied by galas and galleries and rather spend time with each other than with their brother. Charlie listened to Jane as she just about her parents, how different they both were. Her youngest sister Lydia, only nineteen was very much like her mother, unaware of certain behaviors, wild and a party girl, she often came over late and her mother never asked where she was. Laura trusted her daughter naively, her husband, David was the quiet, curious bookworm. He had rather researched on studying certain plants, or studying and reading philosophy. David married Laura for her beauty, and he seemed to care about her a great deal, love was a bit of an overstatement.

Jane for the first time felt she could fall in love with Charlie, and hope that he could feel the same way. In the morning he gave her a cup of coffee, even though they didn’t sleep together they talked, mostly. He kissed her goodbye just as soon Caroline and Darcy saw her leave; she was smiling shyly. Her hair was a little messed up, but she was giggling.

“Hormones,” Caroline commented before Darcy cold.

Charlie was already going into the shower to get dressed. “She looked a little flustered.”

“Hmm?” Darcy asked. “Yes, she did. You don’t think you they slept together do you?”

“Not so quickly I would hope. Charlie know better than that by now.”

“Would you keep an on eye on him? Make sure he does nothing irrational and impulsive?”

“I’m sorry, have you met my brother?” Caroline scoffed.

“I do, and I care about him Jane is very on her guard, I want to make sure he doesn’t get hurt.”

“And what about you?” Caroline asked as Darcy took out his IPad to check his emails.

“What about me?”

“Aren’t you irrational sometimes?”

“No, I’m not,” he replied sternly. “and I would appreciate it if you leave me alone I’m answering emails.”

Caroline reached over and took his hand. “I could distract you.”

Darcy glanced at her and walked away to his room, closing the door behind him.

______

“Tell me all the details,” Lizzie begged Jane as Charlotte sat in between them next to the fireplace. “did he warm you up?”

“ _Lizzie,_ ” Charlotte laughed. “that’s disgusting.”

“What?” Lizzie laughed awkwardly. “It’s the middle of December, it gets chilly in a big house such as Netherfield.”

“I know what you meant Lizzie, and no we did not. I don’t sleep with any guy too quickly, you know that.”

Lizzie shot her a suggestive glance as Jane went to get more tea. Charlotte sat closer next to her friend. “She should put her guard now, ever since you know who, she has to learn to trust men again.”

“I think you’re wrong, as you usually are my practical nonromantic friend. I think most men are stupid anyway, Charlie in an exception. Darcy is smart actually he runs his own company at twenty-eight no less. Jane is right to be on her guard, and she will learn to trust again in her own time.”

“Sure,” Charlotte replied, not convinced.

______

February melted and March came in with harsh winds and rain that promised humidity. Break would soon come, and soon both Jane and Lizzie would finish college. Lizzie hadn’t heard from Darcy in a while, and for that she was grateful she was often the third wheel to Jane and Charlie feeling guilty that she had nothing to do during the break. She wrote constantly, cramming her studies and working on every little detail, being a journalist major was causing stress, causing a stiff neck. Charlotte, her friend was also a journalist major, but Charlotte was more interested in the science part of the paper.

Lizzie was preparing to look for a job opportunity, she heard of The De Brough Daily. Apparently the woman who owns it has been owning newspapers for years and has a passion for writing. They were currently looking for journalists and employers, Lizzie nearly jumped at the first opportunity.

It was then when she heard a call from Charlie. “Hey Lizzie, it’s Charlie.”

“Hey, how are you doing?”

“Um, listen Jane stayed the night-“

“She stayed the night?” Lizzie repeated, baffled. Jane didn’t.

“No, not like that,” Charlie laughed nervously. “she was feeling sick she hasn’t stopped coughing, and she was asking for you.”

“Tell her I’m coming over, I’ll be right there.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lizzie goes to Netherfield and takes care of Jane, little does she know that she'll be under the same roof as Darcy.
> 
> So a little about the writing choice: I decided to add a little awkward moment between our favorite couple because Lizzie begs Jane to leave so unexpectedly in the original story it only makes sense to add a little attraction between them.

Lizzie’s old worn down car announced her arrival, Caroline, Louisa, Charlie and Darcy all looked up from what they were doing as Lizzie opened the door, announcing her arrival. Darcy opened the door as Lizzie, soaking wet had come in drenched clothes. Despite her shivering, she didn’t seem to mind. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see Jane, is she okay?” Lizzie asked, her voice filled with concern.

“You came all this way in this hurricane?” Darcy asked, pleasantly surprised.

“Where is she?” Lizzie asked, ignoring the subject and worried.

“She’s lying down in the guest bedroom,” Charlie half yelled from down the hall.

“Thank you,” Lizzie said in relief as she glanced at Darcy she ran up the spiral staircase. And heard her sister’s cough. “Jane?”

“Lizzie?” Jane asked lazily as Lizzie opened the door. Jane’s nose was rosebud red, her eyes were swollen from lack of sleep. She had the computer in her lap and was watching Netflix, Lizzie saw that it was Gilmore Girls and laughed quietly. “Hi.”

“Honey, you look gross,” Lizzie laughed.

“Lizzie, I don’t appreciate the sarcasm,” Jane scowled as she began coughing again. “are you here to take me home?”

“I don’t think I should take you back, and I think Charlie appreciates it. Besides, I don’t think Dad’s a germophobe and Mom can’t stand it either. I rather take care of you here than at home.”

Jane groaned as she coughed, the phlegm was building in her chest and covered in tissues. A large water bottle was sitting next to her, she groaned as she sat up as Lizzie squeezed her hand. “Aren’t you afraid of catching my cold?”

“No, I’m fine, even if I catch it, it's worth it.”

__________

“She came in the hurricane,” Caroline said to Charlie for the millionth time. “in the rain, she risked her own life just to see her sister. That poor girl, she really needs to sit her standards straight.”

“It’s very sweet that she did, I like Jane’s sister,” her brother replied.

“What about your Darcy, did her state affect your crush on her?”

Lizzie in the corner of her eye could tell he was smiling at her, her hair still wet but she was reading, a rather large book in fact. She could only hear bits and pieces of the of the conversation. She had her earbuds in, listening to instrumental music. “Not at all, I noticed she has very brown eyes. They were dilated, she looked very cute in fact.”

Caroline looked from Charlie to Darcy as Charlie bursted out laughing. “Caroline, I don’t think there’s hope in changing his mind.”

“Louisa, do you believe that?”

Louisa looked up, as she was on the phone. “Maybe.”

“She’s not paying attention. She’s talking with her brainless husband.”

Darcy snickered as Lizzie looked up. “How’s your sister doing?” Darcy asked her.

“Well done Will Darcy, a polite question. She’s doing better, Charlie, and I have been nurses to her, but I think Charlie is doing a better job than me.”

Charlie smiled at her, as he came back with empty glasses and a measuring cup. “I think our patiently is covering nicely.”

“Thank you, honestly Charlie you’re such a nice person and I suppose you’ll tell me. How did you end with Will Darcy over here?”

Darcy glanced at her curiously, as Charlie laughed in disbelief. Caroline appreciated Lizzie’s sharp wit and sharp tongue. “Well, the Bingley’s been friends the Darcy’s for a long time and besides opposite attract.”

“You’re very curious Lizzy,” Will said looking up from his computer. “do you like to read a lot?”

“I don’t read a lot,” Lizzy replied awkwardly looking at him.

“Are you kidding me?” Caroline asked. “In your back pack I saw at least three books.”

“Mostly all for school, I at least have one book I’m reading,” Lizzie replied looking at Caroline with a confident stare.

“Will is a great reader also, he’s reading Stephen King I think now,” Caroline said walking next to Darcy looking over his shoulder. Darcy stiffened at her presence as Caroline ran a hand down his chest as Darcy held it firmly and cast it aside.

“Anyway, I’m gonna go check on Jane,” Lizzie said as she stiffened a giggle.

“I don’t like her,” Caroline said as it seemed for the millionth time. “and I hope Jane is feeling better otherwise we would have to deal with Elizabeth Bennet’s company. And I’m sure Darcy no longer wants her here as much as I do.” 

“In a matter of the fact I do and keep your distance.”

________

“Jane, are you feeling better?” Lizzie asked as Jane mumbled and sat up.

“A little, what’s wrong. I heard you guys talking.”

“Darcy keeps staring at me and keeps trying to play nice and it won’t work. We need to get out of here soon.”

“I’ll get better, I promise.”

As Lizzie left Jane heard her mumble. “I swear if I spend another day in this house with Darcy, I’ll shoot myself.”

_______

Darcy had been contemplating about Lizzie as he found her books in the hotel library, bringing them back to the living room with his computer. Opening his Gmail account, he opened a letter to his sister and saw Lizzie coming down with Jane. She was still in her pajamas; she looked better even though she was still sneezing a bit. Charlie had his arms around Jane as he leads her towards the heater and brought a blanket for her. He kissed her on her cheek as Caroline rolled her eyes and began to talk to him.

“Charlie told me he’s ready to fall in love with her.”

“But I’m leaving in a few weeks, Bingley’s is at my disposal, if he’s ready to fall in love with her we have to protect them both.”

Caroline looked at Jane and her brother and quickly nodded.

“Let’s play some Just Dance,” Louisa said as she began to set up the television. “let’s change the mood.”

Darcy groaned. “Caroline…”

“Oh, come on to the dance floor, live a little.”

“Lizzie, do you want to play with me?”

Lizzie looked up from her sister. “I’ve never played Just Dance before.”

“Seriously? Have you ever let yourself go a bit?” Caroline asked as she tied her hair up in a bun.

“I mean I guess,” Lizzie shrugged as Darcy lead her to the mat, she took the Wii controller.

“Do you mean to stare at me so intensely?” Lizzie asked as she struggled.

“You’re a good dancer,” he commented. “although a little behind.”

She pushed him a little playfully as for the first time she saw him laugh. She even laughed too, as she fell against him, his hands went on her hip instinctively. Darcy looked at her with dark green eyes, almost the color of an evergreen forest. His dark black hair was shuffled, but not for soon it seemed he didn’t want to let her go.

Caroline seemed to steam, as Lizzie pushed herself off of him as she pulled Jane upstairs. “Get better fast. Okay, tomorrow lots of chicken soup.”

“Lizzy, you’re mumbling. And you’re speaking at a hundred miles per hour. Don’t freak out just because you and Darcy had a moment.”

“We did not have a moment,” Lizzy replied bitterly as she sunk into the lounge chair.

__________

Darcy was sure, almost positive that Lizzy on some level would return his feelings. He replayed last night's events in his head. She was so small, so perfect, the way she had moved as she danced, so confidently. She had glasses yes, and that he could put aside, she had pens in her pocket and notebooks piling on the hotel chairs. Imagining he would get over this crush eventually for a moment he let himself fantasize about holding her in his arms giving her tender kisses.

Feeling a little uncomfortable, he went to a tennis court outside where Charlie and Jane seemed to play a match. Soon Jane would go home and Lizzie would leave too, there has to be some kind of excuse to make her stay.

“Hey Charlie, let me play with you for a while.”

“Lizzie,” Jane said as Lizzie brushed past him. He could feel her presence so much it was almost alarming. “Charlie told me he wants me to meet his mom and his step-dad.”

“Really?” Lizzie asked surprised. “A little soon, but I’ll take it.”

“Lizzie, you know we’ve been dating for two months and known each other a while back too.”

“Yeah I know, I just didn’t expect him to be perfect,” Lizzie replied as she sat on the tennis floor. She was beautiful today, there were no pencils, she wasn’t carrying books, but she had her phone and seemed to text a friend.

“Charlie, perfect?” Darcy said sipping from his expensive filtered water bottle. “No one is perfect.”

“And do you understand when someone is exaggerating for the sake of agreeing?” Lizzie spat back.

“No, only when it's the absolute truth of someone’s character,” Darcy said with a snarky smile.

“Geez, what is this an English class?” Caroline asked holding the tennis ball in her hand. “Speak normally please.”

“And you believe everyone has a fault? That succeeds over their virtues?”

“Not always, but frequently yes.”

For a moment Darcy could only hear the March winds and the birds chirping behind him. He tried to understand her, and he loved hearing something unexpected. Caroline mostly agreed everything with him with a gentle nod. Now he felt like he was on a debate team, although he couldn’t decide who was winning. “What about pride? Isn’t that your fault? Do you believe that you're perfect?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you were thinking of it,” Lizzie said with a sardonic smile. “and I’m sure Caroline would agree.”

“Will Darcy is a man without fault,” Caroline said with a flirtatious smile.

“It’s impossible to be without a fault and Darcy’s is his pride,” Lizzie said crossing her legs.

“And yours is to willfully misunderstand someone, you make snap judgements.”

He was still arguing with her, but there was a playful tease. It almost appeared as though she was teasing him, and it was hard to tell. “I read your articles in your college’s newspaper. You have a talent but you lack is the skill in interviewing, you answer the persons question for them based on research and that Lizzie Bennet is not always reliable.”

Charlie and Caroline were just plain laughing. “I can’t understand you Darcy. I try really to get along with you, but something about you makes me curl and not in a good way. There I’ve said it, now you can hate me.”

“I could never hate you,” Darcy replied sincerely. “however, my good opinion once lost is lost forever.”

_______

Lizzy and Jane had been watching the last episode of Gilmore Girls, as they curled up Charlie came in and wished them good luck in school. He gave Jane his phone number and kissed her softly goodbye. Darcy followed behind him and to Lizzy’s surprise. “Goodnight, Jane it was a pleasure. Lizzie.”

“Darcy,” she replied.

After yesterday Lizzie pegged Darcy for being socially strange. She tried her best to figure out why; she looked up the symptoms of autism and several others, even though she hated him she could never stoop that low to believe that. He had only grown up with one sister, and the way Caroline made him sound was though that’s all he ever cared about it didn’t surprise Lizzie if Darcy didn’t get out much in the world. Even though he had travelled to different meetings, she knew it differed from getting to know someone. Jane repeatedly asked her last night why things were so awkward between them now, Lizzie argued that she also felt uncomfortable around him. Though that one moment during the other night made her question everything she ever felt about him, she saw he was truly a good person to be around. Then yesterday, that happened and decided he was too pompous for his own good.

“You know who could never have fault?” Jane asked, as though she was daydreaming.

“Who?”

“Wickham.”

“Oh yeah, I haven’t spoken to him all semester. I forgot about him.”

“Maybe he’ll take your mind off Darcy.”

Lizzie clung to her sister as they both curled underneath the covers. “If anyone could do it, it would be George.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lizzie struggles with feelings about Darcy just as soon as Wickham comes into town. Struggling with her feelings Lizzie decides to confront Darcy on his business with Wickham, but the conversation takes an unexpected turn.

Lizzie’s thoughts about Darcy soon subsided when George Wickham came back into town. Wickham, as Lizzie remembered last time was that he was a shameless flirt. He was handsome, not very wealthy he lived mostly off his parents, he had never finished school because his parents couldn’t afford it. Lizzie offered to help, but even her family couldn’t gather enough money to help him. They were childhood friends, grew up close in the same neighborhood when they both went to different colleges and different states. Last year the last time Lizzie had heard from. 

She had always harbored this little crush on him ever since he went away she missed him, even wrote him emails. Soon he got off the train as she was waiting for him and spun her around laughing at Lizzie’s surprise. “My little Lizzie, I missed you my girl.”

“I’ve missed you, I have so much to talk to you about.”

“In your last text message you said that Jane is dating the CEO of Netherfield Hotels.”

“Yeah, they’re doing great. They are officially dating and every time she comes home she’s happy.”

“What about you? Anyone been playing your flute?”

“George, for god’s sake no. Although there is the unfortunate circumstance that Charlie Bingley’s best friend is Will Darcy and I keep bumping into hm.”

George stopped for a minute. “Will Darcy? You know him?”

“I don’t like him, every meeting with him is unfortunate. We hardly talk and every time we do we seem to argue.”

“I grew up with him,” George said. “with Charlie and Darcy.”

“You three were friends?” Lizzie asked. She could hardly believe that Will Darcy could be friends with anyone like George, they were both so different, came from different classes. 

“We were for the longest time. I dated his sister, Gigi. I don’t suppose you’ve met her?”

“No, I haven’t if she’s anything like her brother.”

George laughed at that. “I fell in love with her at Pemberley while Darcy was at business meet ings. I taught her to draw and paint, and then we told him that we were dating. He was fuming with rage, Gigi was practically crying tell her brother she loved me and wanted to be with me. His father was my godfather, and he promised he would pay for me to go to art school, when the time came after his father’s death he refused to give me the money.”

Lizzie never thought that Darcy would be as bad as that. For a few weeks she thought she misunderstood him, but now she knew how right she was. Darcy deserved nothing that was given to him, he was too proud to give his friend the money just because George dated his sister. It devastated both Gigi and George. 

“Do you still care about her?”

“No, I only wish her the best though. I hope she can deal with her brother as much as anyone as the pleasure of knowing him.”

“I’m so sorry that happened. Then how did you end up going to college?”

George cleared his throat. “I earned it, I just went to a community college.”

“I’m so sorry George.”

“Don’t worry about it. Now take me back to the Bennet household, I miss them.”

Lizzie laughed as she took George’s home as they drove back to the Bennet home. Lydia practically threw herself in front of George and smiled widely at him making a laugh at the power he had over her. “Lizzie, who’s here?” came the southern accent of her mom, Laura. 

“Oh, it's just George,” Lizzie said trying hid her smile. 

“George?” Laura explained as she came rushing towards him she threw her arms and began to kiss him repeatedly repeatedly. George stiffened at the touch but hugged her back as Laura rocked him back and forth. “Oh honey, it's good to see you.” Then she smacked him playfully on his arm. 

“Now why haven’t you called? Lizzie is not the only one who likes you.”

“Laura, really?” Lizzie’s dad asked.

“Oh, honey you know I only got the hots for you.”

Lizzie cringed at the thought of her parents saying sexual innuendos. As she explained to herparents that they would stay for two minutes and then go into town. George had ideas planned, he would stake them to Six Flags, or at least some rides that were opening in town. Afterwards would be ice cream and movies. 

Lizzie had always admired him, he had a general charm that was better than any man she had ever met. When she noticed was the attention he gave to Lydia, she stiffened. There was a considerable age difference, Lydia was nineteen and George was twenty-five. She was sure that George was just playing, after all that was what he was good at. Every attention he gave to her was only meant as a joke. 

As they drove, Lizzie was driving and George played some electronic music from the speaker. Lydia was annoying singing along, and George gave her a high five. “What?”

“I know you like to play George, but flirting with my younger sister is not something you should do.”

“I was only joking, she’s a sweet girl as is her sister.”

He reached over to give her a kiss on the cheek. He raised a hand pretending to cross his heart. “I promise no more flirting.”

“Good,” she replied with a forced smile. 

He raised a confident hand to her hair and held her face as she drove. “Don’t make me smack you.”

“I don’t think you would want to, my little Liz. I know you like me and I like you too.”

“Not here, okay not now.”

Little did either of them know in the back of the car was Lydia scowling at her sister. 

________

The laughter was contagious, Lydia was already at the booth playing games with money she had from her wallet, Lizzie just hoped Lydia didn’t steal it from her. George led Lizzie to the ferris wheel as they waited in line George took her hand as Lizzie gave a wary glance towards Lydia who was watching them carefully. 

“I don’t think Lydia would be too happy about this,” Lizzie said solemnly. 

“Lydia has at least two boyfriends at once, and you are lonely,” George replies with a laughing grin. 

“I’ve had boyfriends before,” Lizzy spat. 

“Yeah but not one who’ll treat you right.”

“And how do I know that you won’t cheat on me? How do I know you won’t ghost me?”

“Lizzie, I won’t,” George says sincerely as he kissed her cheek again. “I want you.”

“Maybe, one day. Let’s just live moment to moment.”

___________

After George left, Lizzy talked to her Dad, who was busy typing on the computer, he was too absentminded to hear her footsteps. Lizzy knew her dad was a bookworm, his books had provided consolation to her as she was a very odd kid. Her dad understood since he was there as he grew up, Lizzie refused to agree with Darcy that she was a bookworm. When he wasn’t staring at her or trying to have a conversation with her Lizzie would always say that she read books to a maximum. 

Some of her books were used as nightstand next to her computer. Her dad lifted his glasses and looked up. “Lizzie, are you okay?”

“I’m confused, very confused about a lot of things, and I don’t think I trust myself at this point.”

Her dad nodded and asked her to close the door. “Is this about George?”

“It's complicated.”

“I’m all for complicated sit down, Elizabeth.”

Sitting crossed legged on the couch in the office she fidgeted with the old musky books that sat next to her. “Dad, I’m confused about Will Darcy.”

“Charlie’s friend? The dark broody one, you talk about him a lot.”

“Only because he annoys me.”

“Right,” David scoffed. “and what are you confused about? Do you have feelings for him?”

Lizzie groaned as she looked up. “That’s what I’m confused about.”

“The thing about love is that it's like hate.”

“Maybe, but I don’t think I love him.”

“What about George?”

“George could never happen, he can’t keep his hands to himself and he flirted with Lydia. I can’t help being attracted to him though.”

“He could be a player, do not trust him?”

“I believe his story, but at the hotel with Jane, Caroline kept whispering in his ear and he kept tensing up. Maybe they were talking about George?”

“Maybe you should talk to Will Darcy about it, and it seems to me you have very intense feelings for him.”

“I really don’t want to see him again,” Lizzie argued. 

“I think you should hear both sides of the coin before deciding Will Darcy is the worst man alive.”

_________

Lizzie couldn’t help but agree with her dad, she had to fish the truth out of him somehow, after all she was a journalist and writers seek the truth. She should hear both sides, although it was tempting to hate him George’s story seemed a little fishy, and she owed Darcy that. After leaving her dad’s office she heard the very familiar sound of a very annoying voice that was her mothers, she received an email from Richard Collins that he plans to visit the family. David described him as the son of his late friend. Richard Collins was unlike his father, he was very much as Lizzie had pointed him out the classic stereotype of a nerd. The last time he was there, he came to see Lizzie every night over dinner and even attempted to ask her on a date, when she refused he vowed to never come back. 

It was the first time that Lizzie had even heard his name mentioned. She dreaded him and even enjoyed making fun of him with George. “Oh that poor guy, it's too bad he’s so dorky and awkward. Even more than Darcy I would imagine.”

“Darcy is more sociably awkward, Collins is just unfortunate.”

As they both laugh at that, Lydia remarked. “He’s very sweet at least.”

“Yes, I will give him credit for that, even Darcy is not very nice.”

“Didn’t he try to talk to at Netherfield?” Lydia asked, curious. “Jane said he starred at you sever al times.”

“He did, did he?” Wickham asked, feigning to be jealous.

“Oh please, he’s just only wants to argue with me about everything it would seem.”

George got up and in false gallantry bowed to Lizzie Bennet. “Doesn’t he know that I’m courting Elizabeth Bennet? Doesn’t he know he has competition?”

Lizzie kicked him playfully in the shins. “Apparently not.”

George grabbed her and pinned her to the ground giving her a sweet kiss on the lips. “I hope you know that I want you for myself.”

Lydia kicked at him from behind as she drank her lemonade. “What’s the matter Lydia, feeling jealous?”

“Hey at the Netherfield Hotel they are hosting a party to celebrate something Darcy has done. Do you want to go?”

“Darcy will be there?” George asked frowning as he let Lizzie go. Lizzie gave him an encouraging smile that he couldn’t resist. “Okay, I’ll try to be there.”

Both Lydia and Lizzie screamed in delight as the thunder from outside began to pour. 

______

As Lizzie drove home from her afternoon with Charlotte and Jane had come home after an evening with Charlie as they both walked in Collins gave them a very wide, very creepy smile. “I tried to call you, but you didn’t answer. I wanted to warn you,” Jane whispered to Lizzie. 

“It’s okay, I can handle Collins.”

As Lizzie forced herself to be nice, she sat down next to Jane as Collins was across from her. He at length explained about his business working with the De Brough paper, and that he was the editor at one office. He came seeking one employee out of the two positions that were open. Lizzie cringed at that moment, even if she ended up working for the newspaper, she hoped at some office it wasn’t under Collins. She couldn’t imagine coming to his office everyday asking for his opinion on a piece or even notes, it would a nightmare. Collins also seemed to look directly at Jane now, who seemed uncomfortable about it. 

Laura then suggests that Jane tell Charlie that Collins will come as a guest. Lizzie and Jane were obviously not looking forward to that. They both had very expensive dresses, both of them low cut and very extravagant. Lizzie expected on dancing with Wickham and maybe talking about other personal stuff if Collins did not interrupt. 

Collins expressed that he is honored to go with them tomorrow he asks if he could take Jane as a date. He didn’t even ask her in private, instead in front of her parents and Lizzie who knew that Charlie was her boyfriend. She gave him a small polite thanks, but that she had already has a boyfriend. Lizzie is then next on the chopper, and to her mother’s insistence she agreed. 

Lizzie got ready for the night, Collins was still talking with her father. Her long black dress, expressed her breasts nicely and fitted her oily brown straight hair. Jane and Lizzie discussed the possibility that Wickham could be there, although Lizzie doubted because of Darcy. He couldn’t possibly be much of a coward not to even show up?

Lizzie went into Collin’s care she made most of the ride as silent as possible. He asked her nice questions about her writing and what area she had wanted to study, then he sent that next half and hour talking about how he loved working with Catherine De Brough and that Will Darcy was her nephew. Lizzie fumed at this and Collins gave her assurance that Will Darcy was a pleasure to work with, but Lizzie very much doubted that. 

As they went in Lizzy remained a distance from Collins and went to look for Wickham. Jane and Charlie, being the good friends that they were checked the guest list and saw that George wasn’t listed. Lizzie called George several times in the next hour and instead saw Darcy in the corner of her eye and Charlotte. 

“Charlotte, what are you doing here?”

“I know Caroline a little, she invited me. What are you doing?”

“I’m calling George, he’s supposed to be my date.”

“Oh, that guy, the one you’re insanely attracted to it.”

“Yes,” Lizzie replied absentmindedly. 

Collins then saw Charlotte in her very revealing dress and asked her to dance. “Do you mind Lizzie?” Charlotte asked. 

“No, please by all means.”

Charlotte intentionally or not, saved Lizzie from a rather embarrassing dance. Lizzie saw Jane and Charlie sneak upstairs and saw Darcy come near her, as soon as she began to walk away she heard: “Elizabeth, I heard that you are a friend of George. Wickham.”

“Yes, I am and what is that of concern to you?” Lizzie asked, annoyed that he was prying. 

He offered his hand. “Are you going to tell me?”

“Dance with me first.”

Lizzie nodded as he walked her to the dance floor, the musicians were playing classic music and were playing a waltz. That meant she had to touch him. She felt her adrenaline kick in, the heat of the lights and of course other reporters watching her with Darcy. “Don’t worry they're not interested in the dance.”

As a confident arm went around her, she gasped as he touched her middle where her dress began. She took his hand, as he very skillfully led her across the floor. He had even lifted her against him at some point, and Lizzie felt that she was not complaining. Darcy was much taller, but he didn’t intimidate her because of it. 

“Are you enjoying the dance, Darcy?”

“I like the music, the classical music is much better than electronic music I think.”

“Oh, it's not too crowded, some people have told me you don’t like crowds.”

“It's fine, the hotel as plenty of room. It's not near as fine as Pemberley but it’ll do.”

“Pemberley? Is that the name of your company?”

“Pemberley is the name of my home, I named the company after it.”

Lizzie sighed as Darcy began to pull her closer. By instinct she rested against him. He was so cold, even after wearing the very thick grey suit. “Why are you asking so many questions?”

Lizzie looked up, what a way to ruin the mood. “I’m trying to figure you out. After all what George told me, I’ve been trying to map you out in my mind. Several things do not add up.”

“Caroline missed you here, she hoped Jane would come and spend a couple of days here when she’s not sick.”

“Why do you change the subject?”

“Because you hit a personal note and I would prefer to talk about something else,” he replied coldly. 

“I heard what you’ve done.”

“What has he told you?” he asked impatiently. 

“What did you do?” she replied more forcibly. 

The song ended, the paparazzi were staring and taking pictures. Lizzie stared at him, but he said nothing as she left Collins came to her. “Oh, there you are.” Lizzie sighed annoyed and took Collins hand as she saw Caroline and Louisa were laughing at her. Could this evening get any worse? Collins was a terrible dancer, he danced beside her instead of with her as Lizzie even saw Darcy snickering. 

Caroline even came up to her after the dance with Louisa. “Lizzie, we’re sorry that your date is such a terrible dancer.”

“I’m sure the entire world knows by now.”

“Not entirely,” Caroline replied, not catching Lizzie’s sarcasm. “I would have to warn you about George Wickham, he is a terrible man, he put Darcy’s family great risk and ruined his life.”

“Really, how Caroline? All you do is scowl and judge just like you and Will Darcy. A match made in heaven if you ask me. Dance with him, you two deserve each other.”

Caroline scoffed as Lizzie walked off and took the keys to Collins car, he later joined her as she drove at an alarming speed. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, I've been sick. I've been having fevers and headaches and a backache.

Lizzie had to take her mind of Darcy and the whole drama, especially now with finals coming up, she couldn’t risk her curiosity on Darcy’s dealings with George. George didn’t even have the decency to call and tell her he was sorry that he couldn’t show up. He sent her a text that he had wanted to talk, but she had an interest and said she would prefer if they were just friends.

With Lydia finishing high school and Lizzie tutoring her, she couldn’t focus on her love life right now. Charlotte was being elusive, and secretive and even Jane was spending too much time with Charlie. After the dance, Jane told Lizzie she was ready to bring her walls down, it was the most exertion Lizzie had every felt in days.

Her grades had improved and she and Jane would graduate in just about the week. As May came and with no sign of Darcy, Lizzie was focused. After graduation Jane would go with Charlie to a ski resort, even though it was supposed to be romantic get away Lizzie agreed. The worst part was that Caroline and Darcy would be there. Lizzie was too bored to let Caroline or either Darcy ruin her plans to relax and read and binge watch Netflix.

As the robes were ordered Laura tailored her daughter’s gown, as it was a little short. “Mom, I didn’t know you could tailor,” Lizzie said as her mom was busy opening what looked like to be an antique box filled with pins and needles.

“The Bennets have been tailors for generations. I didn’t mention it to you, because I knew you want to be a journalist.”

Rolling her eyes Lizzy pressed gently. “How is Dad?”

“Oh, he’s fine,” she could hear her mother’s disappointment in her voice. “he’s very busy.”

“Do you two get along?”

Taking the pin out and going for another one Laura’s voice was curious and appalled. “Why would you ask such a question?”

“You two seem nasty around each other, that’s all.”

“We’re fine Lizzy, now hold still, you’re getting on nerves.”

Lizzy smirked at her mother, as she saw written on a sticky note on her mom’s drawer was “ _Collins, important for Lizzy.”_ It was always in Lizzie’s nature to be prying, and sometimes it was often rude which would explain why Darcy acted so strangely when she asked him about Wickham. She already thought of Wickham, and he seemed to enjoy Lydia more lately. She often went out late, to other parties and places, as Laura was still blatantly oblivious; Lizzie often worried about Lydia and her underage drinking. She tried talking to her father, but he was so wrapped up with the bank and balancing checks she hardly saw him. Letting her worried nature overwhelm her, she asked her mom, “Mom, why is Collins coming over again?”

As if she was hiding a secret. “Oh, nothing dear. He’s just coming to talk to you about that new position at De Brough’s.”

“Mom, I mean this in the nicest way possible. I don’t want to work at De Brough’s.”

“And why not?” Mrs. Bennet asked in her cheery southern accent.

_Well Mom, because Will Darcy is Collin’s boss and I can’t stand him, I thought I liked him at one point but we just seem to butt heads._ Instead of saying that, Lizzy said her mantra. “I want to find a job on my own. I want to graduate-“

“An opportunity doesn’t come like this every day, Elizabeth.”

Why her mother said her full name, Lizzy knew she was serious. Her mother hardly was.

“Mom-“

“Will you stop being selfish and do what’s right for once?”

Offended at her mother’s sharp tone, Lizzy left the room. As she walked backed to her room to prepare for the graduation, she usually expected to hear Lydia’s rap music blaring in her room. As she went to her dad’s office, he was obviously busy but. Annoyed that his daughter would even interrupt him at this time. “Dad, where’s Lydia?”

“Lizzy, I’m on the phone.”

“I don’t give a shit, I’m worried about Lydia.”

“Call Jane, see if she’s with Charlie.”

Rushing to her phone she called Jane, after hearing the dial tone Jane’s voice said. “Jane, do you know where Lydia is?”

“No, she’s not at home?” Jane asked, her voice worried. At least Jane was concerned.

“Is this a bad time, are you with Charlie?”

“Yeah, but I can leave. Did she come home?”

Lizzy checked Lydia’s bright yellow room, seeing that she wasn’t there Jane heard her panic and said that she would pick her up to look for her. She had no time to tell her parents; she grabbed her coat and raced downstairs to Jane’s car. Lizzy cursed as she tried to track Lydia’s phone, but she didn’t know her sister’s apple id. She could only think that she could have gone to a friend’s house. Maybe she was walking back home, Lizzy wondered as she looked at the overcast sky.

The skies loomed together as Lizzie and Jane drove. Jane was pissed and so was Lizzie, pissed that their parents were so wrapped up in their lives they didn’t even notice that their daughter could be taking drugs or consuming alcohol that she shouldn’t. Lizzy tried calling one of Lydia’s friends, Kitty, who practically followed her like a cat. Kitty said last night Lydia snuck out into a friend’s house for a party.

Kitty reluctantly gave the address and begged Jane and Lizzie not to tell her parents. Lizzie couldn’t promise anything, she knew Kitty followed in Lydia’s footsteps although she was a year older. It stressed Lizzie too much to worry about Kitty and drove up the very large mansion that the loud music had been coming from.

Jane was the leader, directing her sister towards the back door as the mumbling of very drunk teenager had fallen in Jane’s way. Jane, groaning in frustration and Lizzie mirroring her sister’s emotions saw Lydia with her arms around a boy, making loud kissing noises that made Lizzie cringe. The boy had run away scared, he had a large mane of dark brown hair that reminded Lizzie too much of Wickham.

Lydia looked offended, embarrassed and had been crying it seemed. “Jane? Lizzie?”

She was mumbling, incoherent the loud music from downstairs almost made it impossible for her to hear her sisters. Jane, in relief and anger took her sister in her arms. “Oh honey, what are you doing?”

Lizzie played the role of the concerned parent. “What were you thinking, doing something like this? You could have alcohol poisoning, we’re going home and we’re putting two gallons of water down your throat.”

“We’ll take her to the hospital,” Jane said rolling her eyes. “get some IV fluids in her system.”

“And hydration, and food. I can’t believe you would even think of consuming alcohol without water or food.”

Lydia began to cry, she looked so tired as if she hadn’t slept in a couple of days. “Alright, I hear you. Can one of you carry me?”

Lizzie, being the strongest of the two carried Lydia like a baby. She curled into Lizzie’s arms, she looked so small so vulnerable. Fuming with rage, Lizzie saved it for when she got home. Jane was already getting water bottles from two of Lydia’s friends that were worked about her.

Strapping her into the backseat, Lizzie waited for Jane as she put in the nearest hospital address. Lydia, was still crying saying how stupid she was, that she had wanted to be a good little girl, that she had wanted to graduate.

Now, as they drove to the hospital in the waiting room, Lizzie called her parents.

“Mom?”

“Sweetie? Lizzy, where are you?”

“I’m at the hospital with Lydia, she has alcohol poisoning, can you or dad come?”

Lizzie never heard her mom so silent, so grave and so solemn. “Your father will come as soon as he can, just sit tight.”

Lizzy couldn’t wait, her sister was hooked up to wires, the doctor had said she would be fine but she needed a lot of rest. Her dad came in a hurry with an unshaven beard and tears streaming down his cheeks. His emotions were a current of happiness and disappointment. His youngest daughter, was peacefully asleep at the moment. “I don’t want to yell at her, I feel so guilty as it is not knowing this would happen. I didn’t need even she could drink like that.”

Lizzie took her father’s hand, “Dad, I was angry at first hating that you didn’t know, but I understand that you had trusted her.”

“You saw it long before I did Lizzie, I was so wrapped up in our taxes, I didn’t realize I wasn’t focusing on my kids.”

As her Dad went into Lydia’s room, she looked up at him and started crying. “I’m sorry, Dad.”

“Me too, kiddo. We will get you better all right and there will be consequences.”

“I just want to be home.” Lydia replied with a weak chuckle.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Lizzie and Jane graduate Lizzie wonders if she should have taken the job offer at the de Brough Paper. Also, Darcy tries to convince himself that he's not in love with Lizzie Bennet, but is he? And is that really so horrible? (edit, sorry i had to fix my mistakes).

Darcy hated to be with his aunt, he loved her like any nephew could but there was truly something about her that scared him. He was the manager at this office of The De Brough Paper, and it was his turn after returning form meetings from Pemberley Works, to overlook the company. He would look over the banking and do audits sometimes, but mostly he was thrilled at the idea that Lizzie could work for him if she took the position. 

“Willam, I need you,” his aunt says peaking her rather small head in the doorway. 

Darcy had resentments against his aunt, but he was loyal. He loved journalism and knew Lizzie did too if they ever talked about those shared interests. As he walked into the office, right next to his (which annoyed him) he grabbed a notepad and prepared for the long and extensive adjustments made to the company. 

“Darcy, you look distracted.”

  
“I do?” he asked sheepishly, adjusting his tie.

“Yes, is there something bothering you?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“You did the right thing with Charlie and Jane if you’re concerned about them-"

“No, I’m not,” he said hastily. “I’m worried that you’re new recruitment, and that Collins will hire Elizabeth Bennet.”

“Well, I assure you that will not happen. Collins may be dull but he can still take a hint. What I hear from Caroline Bingley is that both Jane and Elizabeth come from a family of goldiggers, I hope you won’t become too involved with Elizabeth said you did spend a lot of time with her.”

Darcy laughed, as much as he tried, he couldn’t lie to his aunt, but he had to, because he was in love with Elizabeth Bennet. Regardless of the future that his aunt had expected from him, he was hopelessly attracted to her. He had fallen in love before he had even realized he had. After the confirmation that there was no trouble he listened to his aunt and went back to his office where Gigi had called him. 

“Will!”

  
“How are you, Georgina?” he asked politely.

  
“So polite, and so sincere, did someone die? Was there a funeral I missed? You know I hate that name.”

“Gigi, you’re named after your great grandmother, respect that name.”

“Just call me Gigi and tell me when you get home.”

“Soon, sis. I might be here a while.”

“Are you still talking to Lizzie Bennet? Have you fallen in love with her?”

“Georg-Gigi-that’s inappropriate to ask.”

  
He could hear Gigi laughing on the phone with her Aunt Reynolds behind her. “No, you’re uncomfortable I can hear it from all the way here in England.”

“I love you sis, but I have to go. I’ll see you in England in a few months.”

“No business talk okay? Tell me about the hotel, the food and whether I’m expecting to have Lizzie Bennet has my sister-in-law..”

  
“Love you, kiddo.”

“Love you too, Will.”

__________

  
Darcy, unfortunately remembered Mr. Collins all too well. He was a nuisance, but he had tolerated him. It was really his own source of laughter around the cold office he sat in all day. Just when he knew Caroline the beginning they used to laugh at him, teasing him in the office. He would make a mistake and then apologize to the journalist as she always was right. Collins did his job adequately, even though Darcy wouldn’t call him the world’s best editor. His aunt had approved of him, and that was enough he couldn’t argue for he knew in the Darcy family when their mind is made up there is no going back. 

He had argued with himself constantly that he couldn’t possibly be in love; they had only known each other for a few months, but he had realized he was starting to fall in love a long time ago. As he watched Collins walk away, he was sure that Lizzie would be working with him, and maybe he could tell her how he felt. 

_____________

  
In the early morning, Lizzie woke up by the sound of her mother squealing all around the house. Groaning from being woken at eight in the morning, she went downstairs and heard: “Lizzie,” said a sing song masculine voice. As Lizzie came to his view, a very short stoutly man with a sharp noise and a very long nose came into view. “it's so good to see how are you?”

“Great, Collins,” Lizzie said with forced politeness. “what are you doing here?”

“I came to seek a new employer for De Brough’s Newspaper, my newspaper. And for the past few days I’m going to talk to you about the opportunities that should interest you. My boss is the most wonderful, most generous. She will certainly like you and so will her nephew.”

“You’re a partner in that newspaper, the one I want?”

“Yes I am,” Collins replied matter-of-factly. “there are two positions opens and I hope you are one of them.”

“Isn’t this wonderful, Lizzie? You’re going to write for Catherine De Brough!”

“I didn’t say that, I don’t want him to be my boss!”

“Oh, I’m a wonderful boss and her nephew quite agree,” Collins said with a confident smile. 

  
“Who is your nephew?” Lizzie asked with a curious eye. 

“They have told me not to tell you, your future at the company would be at jeopardy.”

“You know what? That’s it, you have been here before and that’s when you had some strange idea that we were dating. Now you’re telling me that my future at the company is at stake because I can’t know the name of your boss’s nephew? You’re crazy, now go!”

Collins stuttered as he looked from Lizzie to Mrs. Bennet. “You called me here, aren’t you going to defend me?”

“Elizabeth Bennet,” her mom said in her best stern voice. “I called him for you, you can be independent, get out of the house.”

“I’m not even done with college yet, I don’t want my job- or even my dream job to be handed to me on a silver platter.”

  
As Lizzie pulled Collins rather forcibly by the arm, she twisted him until she threw him out the door. As soon as she locked the door Laura Bennet screamed to the top of her lungs: “David!” Laura pushed Lizzie to David’s office. Lizzie was laughing a little at how ridiculous this all was, she waited outside the door as her parents talked. Her mom was the only one she could hear with the door closed. “Talk to her now! Please her future is at stake!”

“Lizzie, can you come in here?”

As she opened the door Laura had her arms crossed, her was furious with anger and concern in her eyes. “Dad?”

“Is it true that Richard Collins offered you a job?”

“Yes, he did. And I turned him down.”

“Why? You missed a golden opportunity. This was a job, and you turned it down, it's very serious. You can leave home and live a life.”

“I haven’t even finished school yet, and I rather I get my degree first than anything else,” Lizzie replied confidently. 

Her dad nodded and pulled Lizzie into a bone-crushing hug. “I understand, I love you, kiddo.”

“Love you too.”

“What?” Laura yelled. “You’re just going to let her just live at home and wait to get a job? She’s twenty-four she shouldn’t be living at home anymore.”

“Lizzie can do it in all good time, she’s a smart cookie she can do anything.”

After a groan of frustration Laura slammed the door behind her as Lizzie thanked her dad repeatedly. 

  
_______________

  
Richard Collins came back, in fact repeatedly for dinner. Not only did he repeat the offer, but he also flirted with her repeatedly Lizzie spent most of her time making up excuses, she talked to Charlotte mostly when Collins came to visit. And soon it was time to get back to school. She needed to finish her courses, and graduation was just tomorrow. 

She already celebrated with Jane last night, and yes she might have felt a little hungover, but at least she had an apartment she could rent. It wasn’t ideal, and although her family were perfectly stable middle class Americans, she couldn’t afford to pay the rent on her own. David had chipped because possible, but mostly the money was from working at Whole Foods or even working in sales. Charlie offered to help, but she couldn’t take advantage of her sister’s boyfriend. 

She took Advil for the headache and even put on makeup. Taking the seat up front, she wandered around with Jane, sitting beside her sister as the sun had set. The ceremony wasn’t until six, but it still worried Lizzie that her options were limited. It was there when she saw Charlie and Darcy coming through the view. “Darcy?” Lizzie asked Jane. “He’s here?”

“Yes, Charlie invited him, is that okay?”

“That’s fine,” Lizzie strained. “as long as you are okay with me not being nice to him at all.”

“Come on, you don’t really believe Darcy would do such a thing to his friend if there wasn’t a good reason?”

“I’ve known George longer, and I believe that lasting friends are better than a stiff neck upper class douchebag.”

Charlie had practically lifted Jane off her feet as he swung her in the air. He brought her down as he opened a long necklace box. It was a beautiful silver chain with a pendant, Jane took it as Charlie put the necklace around her neck. “I love it,” she says between kisses. “and I love-"

“Charlie, sorry to interrupt but we better let the girls do the rehearsal.”

Charlie blinked away from Jane still incredulous that if Darcy hadn’t interrupted Jane would have told him she loved him. “All right, good luck to the both of you.”

“Good luck Lizzie,” Darcy said as he squeezed her hand in his. 

“Thank you,” Lizzie replied caught by the surprise and looked down she was still holding on to his hand. 

“We’ll see you afterwards and celebrate.”

_______________

  
Lydia was still a little shaky and pale. David and her came to an arrangement that she would tell him where she was going and who with, he had kept an app that tracked her phone that Lizzie had shown him. It frustrated Lydia with the leash that her dad had put on her (figuratively of course), Lizzie heard her and their mom talking about it. Lizzie knew that Lydia was far too irresponsible, and she needed some hold back. 

What was on Lizzie’s mind is that Darcy smiled at her, he looked almost nice? He was just buttering her up, Lizzie was sure for the job. She knew that he and Collins both wanted her, impressed by her work at the school paper, but she knew it was just pity. Even if the pay was great and it would get her a better apartment, Lizzie couldn’t do it. She knew there would be dinners and meetings and that she would have to deal with his company yet again. 

She had a headache just thinking about it, groaned as she saw Darcy and Charlie in the corner. Charlie, pleasantly smiling as Darcy stood stiff and kept looking at her. What was it about her that had intrigued him so much?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave comments or kudos, they mean the world to me.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fitz Williams and Will Darcy try to give Lizzie some pointers on how to handle their boss, but an unexpected turn in conversation only makes Lizzie hate Darcy even more.

Charlie, Darcy, Lizzie and Jane went to a little coffee shop, they had all been walking together in the town. Buffalo was a strange little town, but Lizzie had found that small and quite were exactly her type of tea. Charlie and Jane had walked ahead, arm and arm and Lizzie felt awkward that she didn’t do the same with Darcy. She was the third wheel and Darcy was the fourth.

“We have to break the silence somehow,” Lizzie said as she took out her phone as Jane and Charlie sat across from them in the park. “Darcy, come on.”

He cleared his throat and took out his IPhone ten, one that Lizzie couldn’t afford. “Your screen is cracked.”

“What? Oh, yeah its no biggie. Don’t worry about it.”

“Well you should get it replaced. I know a guy working at Apple that will fix it for you at a reasonable discount.”

Lizzie chuckled nervously. “You don’t have to be nice you know, I know you hate me.”

_No. Far from it._ Darcy didn’t say it, he couldn’t.

“Haven’t we travelled this road before, Elizabeth?”

“No one calls me Elizabeth but my mother,” she presses, ignoring the explainable silence between them.

“Well, someone should, you have a beautiful name. ‘Oath of God’”.

Elizabeth blinks at him. “So anyway, so this is a Scrabble game, and its two person.”

Darcy smiled at her, rather boyishly and picked up his phone, too flustered to communicate properly. Everything she did was by surprise, it shook him to the core, that someone so beautiful could be so sharp and judgmental. He didn’t understand why, but he found himself more thrilled from her than ever. Charlie texted him, knowing that was one of the few ways that his friend could reach him. Darcy ignored his friend’s teasing and highly inappropriate emojis and focused on the game. When Elizabeth won, she shouted and made a little victory dance.

_________

As Lizzie came home flustered, she saw her friend Charlotte, waiting for her. “Charlotte, what are you doing here?”

“I came to tell you that Collins has offered me the position at the De Brough Paper, and I took it,” Charlotte replied, but she didn’t seem to happy about the idea but she was forcing a smile.

“Come inside,” Lizzie beckoned as and Charlotte went to her room.

“Why did you drag me in here?” Charlotte asked impatiently.

“To put some reason in your head? Were you sick when you accepted or were you just plain stupid?”

“What are you talking about?” Charlotte yelled back.

“You accepting Collin’s offer? It’s just some twisted, sick joke.”

“It’s not, Lizzie, he’s offered me a raise-“

“It’s not just that, that you chose journalism over video editing, the one thing you are great at-”

“One thing? Thanks, Liz.”

“I didn’t mean it like that, I just think that video editing can offer so much larger opportunities than journalism can for you-“

“Video editing is just a thing I have on YouTube, it means nothing…”

“Charlotte, I don’t even know you anymore,” Lizzie retorted.

“Well, fuck you Lizzie Bennet,” Charlotte replied and slammed Lizzie’s bedroom door behind her.

__________

“Charlotte is just not herself,” Lizzie told her family over dinner.

“Well, you wouldn’t feel this way if you had accepted Collin’s offer,” Laura snapped at her as she looked across at her husband, sitting at the other side. Bless him, he was too worried about the yam on his plate.

“That has nothing to do with it, Collin’s is- socially awkward and doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘no’.”

“Elizabeth, he is a respectable man, and Catherine De Brough is very impressed with his work at the office,” her mother said.

“Where did you hear that?” Elizabeth asked.

“I have my ways, Collins’ gave me Catherine’s phone number. She is also the aunt of Will Darcy, Charlie’s friend. Its a small world, is it not?”

Elizabeth looked down at her plate, for a few weeks she had kept the thoughts about Will Darcy out of her mind. Has much as she hated to admit it, if she worked for Collins’s she would have an unbelievable work pay, even more than average. True she would see Darcy again and maybe even Caroline but what was that to get out of the house.

After the conversation with her mother, she went to her room where Charlotte emailed her saying the Collin’s offer still stands for her if she had wanted it. She thought about Lydia, if she left would she sink even lower? Go to parties again? She couldn’t think about that, but at her father’s help, she wrote instantly back to Charlotte’s email and told her she was looking forward to working at one world’s most prestigious papers.

_______________

“Oh, that’s great news, great news,” Collins told Charlotte as she had forwarded him Lizzie’s email.

“Of course.”

“I hope having a friend around here won’t interfere with the work you have brought to the paper.”

Charlotte shook her head, gathering his meaning. Lizzie was her best friend, and on some level she had wanted her support. Lizzie would live with her, in her empty apartment. It was so much larger than what she had expected. Her bed filled with pillows she didn’t want, and the kitchen was- and she was sure she wasn’t exaggerating at least a mile from the bed. There was a huge window filling the entire wall where Charlotte was sure the entire world could see her. Finally she saw there was a button, as dark shades gave her privacy. The shower heads was the perk she had loved the most, the pressure they gave was better than any massage.

As she prepared both the office and the apartment for her friend’s arrival, Charlotte grew more expected by the minute.

__________

Lizzie’s room, which was to be expected was turned into an office space for her mother. There was a small guest bed for her to sleep on, and frequently she did. The stress of using her father’s money to pay for that small little apartment would soon be gone as Catherine had insisted on paying for it by herself. Even though knowing the pay rate of the writers, Lizzie was sure she could have paid for the rent herself. Catherine had said that she could talk to her about it in her office whenever she wanted. Lizzie was not used to be treated like this, like a professional, it seemed most likely out of pity that Collins had hired her.

As she had come to Charlotte’s apartment, driving her crappy car, she turned off the engine as it backfired the loud sound of a bang jumped Lizzie out of her car. Going to the fourth floor like Charlotte said and finding the apartment A, Charlotte greeted her warmly and with a surprising hug. Their greeting was a mixture of “I’m so sorry” and “I didn’t mean any of the horrible things I said.”

Lizzie was in the awe of the apartment, all of it. As she had looked around and saw the guest bedroom, she said. “Well, it looks like I’ll be getting the royal treatment.”

“Lizzie, I’m so happy to get to work with you.”

“Are you sure it won’t be so awkward between us? Working together?”

“We worked on the paper together, didn’t we?” Charlotte asked, surprised.

True, but they also had different views, Charlotte had rather had the money now and find a job that she didn’t love but did well in while Lizzie rather have a job that she loved. They were still friends, Charlotte was still working on her videos, and that gave some relief to Elizabeth.

Charlotte prepared her for the dinners, letting her know what to wear, and what specific designer dress to wear. Elizabeth didn’t even wear a designer dress, and now that she was being paid extremely well she could very much afford her. She didn’t want to spend her money on dresses or clothes; she wanted to spend money on fixing her parent’s debts.

Charlotte was pretty insisted upon it, and Elizabeth bought a sensible but relatively nice evening dress. What Charlotte suggested next brought Lizzie’s attention to a halt. “Excuse me?”

“No one know’s our boss better than him, and he is her nephew.”

“Absolutely not,” Elizabeth argued.

“He’s just going to give you a couple of pointers that’s all, and you’ll meet his friend.”

Elizabeth grunted as she got dressed and went into her car, she didn’t even feel relatively comfortable. The dress amplified her breasts in the most annoying way. When Charlotte wasn’t coming with her, she was even more nervous, as she went into the restaurant a call from her sister Jane pulled her to reality.

“Jane?”

“Lizzie,” she said through sobs. “good you picked up.”

“What happened? Why are you crying?”

“Charlie left me, Caroline sent me a text saying that he was called on someone business in London for some other Netherfield Hotels. He’ll be going awhile, he doesn’t know when he’s coming back.”

“Did he even tell you?” Lizzie asked.

“No, Caroline did.”

“Those scumbags, Caroline and Darcy convinced Charlie that you’re not good enough to him.”

“Caroline wouldn’t do that Lizzie, she has been nothing but kind to me.”

“There is a difference between being kind and pitying on someone. I’ll slap her when I see her, I swear.”

“Lizzie, don’t make a scene. I know you didn’t like Caroline while we were staying with them but that is definitely no excuse,” Jane replied sharply.

“Look, why not go to London? Go see him and tell him what he’s missing.”

“I’ll consider it, but Jane please be nice to Caroline,” Jane pleaded, her voice sweet and gentle.

Lizzie scoffed as she hung up the phone.

Maybe it was because she hated the Bingley sisters and Darcy so much that made her think that he would do something like this. After what he did to George, Lizzie wouldn’t think twice of him breaking apart Charlie and Jane. Or if he didn’t he would convince him that Jane had never loved Charlie, it was obvious, but Jane never told him. She was too scared of getting hurt again.

When she entered the restaurant, she took a seat and told the hostess that someone was waiting for her. Will Darcy and what she supposed was his friend, greeted her, shaking her hand. Darcy opened the chair for her as the waiter gave them the menus. “What is this place?” Lizzie asked politely as she could, although she was fuming with rage.

Darcy’s fair looking friend answered. “Rosings, it’s a very extravagant restaurant its Catherine’s favorite. I’m Fitz Williams, a good friend of Darcy’s.”

“Really?” she asked eyeing Darcy’s hard stare. “How unfortunate.”

Fitz looked at his friend as Darcy actually smiled. “It’s a private matter between Elizabeth and I, Fitz.”

“Oh, you mean a joke?” Fitz asked.

“Y-yes, of course,” Darcy stuttered as he looked down at the menu. His phone vibrated and made his excuses.

“I take it you don’t like him,” Fitz said to Lizzie as Darcy was out of hearing range.

“No, not really,” she replied taking a sip of water. “not a huge fan of Darcy, wouldn’t want a backstage pass to a concert.”

“You have sharp wit, it’s one of the many reasons that I think he likes you,” Fitz said as Lizzie nearly spilled out her water.

“Will Darcy, likes me? That’s a joke.”

“He never calls people by their last name unless he likes them or makes a business deal. He’s very loyal, he saved his best friend Charlie Bingley from a girl that was trouble.”

“What exactly was trouble about her?” Lizzie asked, a little more sharply than she intended.

“She was too guarded,” Fitz replied nonchalantly. “she couldn’t tell Charlie how she really felt.”

“Did Charlie ask Darcy to pull him away?” Lizzie asked, her tears threatening to stream on her cheeks.

“I believe Darcy convinced him, Charlie can be a little gullible,” Fitz replied with an all knowing look.

“When Darcy gets back, tell him I had to leave and not to interfere in people’s lives,” Lizzie replied angrily as she stormed off.

______________

Lizzie didn’t want to tell Jane what Fitz said, she already told Jane her suspicions. She did feel guilty about leaving Fitz (not Darcy) without him giving her any pointers. She was sure she could handle Catherine, after all she was under the same roof as Darcy and Caroline for nearly three months.

As Charlotte had lengthy phone calls with Collins, she had to force herself not to strangle Darcy the next time she saw him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Lizzie is still confused about Darcy, she still hates him but what he says next might just surprise her.

Darcy looked forward to having a casual dinner with her and giving her tips and how to handle unfortunately his very stern aunt. She told him that Charlotte and Elizabeth would come to dinner at her house soon. Although it seemed a little odd, having dinner with the boss especially for the newcomers has they all had to do it.

The entirety of Rosings would be booked, as Catherine was expecting a large dinner, not to mention expensive. Darcy hated siting through dinners with people he had never met, they were unnecessary, and to pretentious. It was as if Catherine were showing off that she could afford such a meal, and Darcy knew Elizabeth well enough to agree with him.

She had even friended him on games, playing word games and crossword puzzles, privatemessaging. He could never say how he really felt, and although there was something about the conversations that made him wonder with Elizabeth was just teasing him. Fitz had bursted his bubble by bursting his faith just now as they waited for the other guests to arrive.

__________

Lizzie didn’t expect the d Brough’s owned restaurants also, as she went it she felt a little underdressed. Will Darcy was sitting next to his aunt, in a sharp tight suit that he didn’t feel comfortable in. He was the last person she wanted to see the last person she ever wanted to talk to. He was very attractive too, even more than Charlie and that annoyed her to where she wanted to smack him.

As soon as Mrs. De Brough saw her, she stiffened as Charlotte took her hand. “Lizzie, you’re late.”

“Sorry, my car is old, I need to take it to a mechanic.”

“I could have driven you, Charlotte has my phone number if you told me-“

“It's no bother,” she told him sharply.

“Elizabeth, come sit down next to my nephew.”

“What?” Lizzie asked dumbfounded. Was everyone playing matchmaker? First Fitz and now her boss?

Darcy gave a small smile, as Lizzie saw Catherine De Brough’s unsatisfied glance. She came over and sat next to Darcy who seemed uncomfortable, yet again. What was it about her that made him look at her so much? First at Netherfield, now this? “Lizzie, I have read some of your work, it's very good. A lot of it needs work, but my editor will help you that. Darcy was also a very good English in college, he could help you.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Darcy told her.

“Thank you,” Lizzie said politely, although a little shaken that Mrs. De Brough would talk about her writing in front of the man she despised.

“Do you have any family?” Catherine asked before Lizzie could tell the waiter what she had wanted.

“Yes, I have two other sisters.”

“Darcy tells me you have a blog and wrote a very mean post on social media about him.”

“That was by accident. I didn’t mean to.”

“I always found that the mind has a way of speaking even if you don’t want it too. You put your opinion out there and you didn’t apologize for it, I like that. I will take you under my wing.”

“That’s unnecessary,” Lizzie said as she felt her cheeks flush.

Charlotte gave her a sympathetic glance as Lizzy scowled at her. “Elizabeth, my other nephew Richard is coming into town, he owns a big part of my newspaper, I would like you to meet him.”

“I already met him the other day,” Lizzy glanced at Fitz. He was fairly handsome, although not as handsome as Darcy he was a little chubby and had green eyes.

What was it with Darcy’s family and speaking like they’re in a period romance movie? Lizzy tensed, she loved George, like a friend and maybe even more if she was given an opportunity. She grew up with him, and she hated that he was being treated like this even if he wasn’t here. Finally, Catherine left her alone for a while so that she could order. She wasn’t starving, but having food in her mouth was better than Darcy looking at like she was a traffic accident. What was it with the Darcy’s and the Wickham’s anyway? What George told her still made her hate Darcy, but there was something still missing.

Several courses came after that, Lizzy could hardly believe that anyone could eat so much. Darcy and Charlotte stopped eat after the third and Lizzy let some of it fall to the floor. They had a few desserts, with ingredients Lizzy had never head of. As she walked back home Darcy’s offer presented its self again.

“Charlotte, I’m not going back home with you?”

“Catherine is insisting in driving in her car with her driver, she said that Darcy had no problem driving you back to your hotel.”

She glanced at Darcy nervously. “Ready?” he asked her.

She nodded as he opened the door for her as he got in on the drivers said. The car was so clean, and it had still smelled brand new. No garbage was on the floor, and even the next generation IPhone was hooked up. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“Believe me, it's fine. Sometimes you got to trust.”

“Is that one of my faults?” she teased.

“No, it can be a good thing or a bad thing. You have your guard on,” he said with a polite smile.

“Your aunt is crazy,” she said, still thinking of the dinner

“That I can agree with,” he replied, mirroring her teasing.

“You can drop me off here, the hotel is just a block,” she said noticing the crossing.

“Really it's no trouble, I can drive you.”

“No, it's okay. I like walking.”

He nodded, understanding that she wanted to walk. Lizzie walked up the street, extremely curious of Darcy’s behavior. He confused her sometimes, occasionally he could be very charming and then what he did to Jane and to Wickham.

_________

When she returned home, she received a text from Jane, saying that she had not a chance to see Charlie where he was staying, but she had left him several emails and voicemails. And even tried to call him and Facetime, but she couldn’t reach him. Lizzie suspected Darcy had Charlie block Jane’s number somehow. To pull a couple a part like this, made her believe that he couldn’t change for the better.

Fitz had texted her to reschedule their dinner, but she made an excuse and said that she had a migraine and wasn’t feeling well.

“Darcy, what are you doing here?”

Darcy took off his coat, revealing a sharp black suit. He always wore as if he was going to a business meeting. “You didn’t come to Rosings today, are you all right?”

“I have a little headache, that’s all,” she replied. “is there something you need from me?”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Darcy said as Lizzy processed that he was being nice. “I wanted to tell you something, but I don’t know exactly how to word it, it's difficult to explain.”

“Could you do this at a better time? I’ve had a migraine all day,” she added sharply as he followed her to her room. “or at least do it quickly?”

As he fidgeted nervously Lizzie saw him the corner of her eye his cracked skin peeling as mumbled nervously to himself. “I came to Rosings because I heard that you were coming with Charlotte, I knew that you were hired. I was thrilled really, I was happy to see you. Everything you do, everything about you is so strange and peculiar, and I was fighting this against this for months, thinking about our social classes, and my aunts expectations of me and I’ve concluded that I love you.”

“Are you fucking with me?” Lizzie asked harshly.

“No,” Darcy replied sincerely. “I love you, more than anyone. I came back to Netherfield to be with you, even though I have tons and thousands of meetings to plan for…”

“I’m shocked that you would even think I would feel the same way.”

Darcy, struggling to keep his temper even said. “I think you do.”

“What are you talking about?”

“At the Netherfield Hotel you fell on top of me and I thought we had a moment and at the gala-“

“Well, you thought wrong. If you really want me to believe you tell me about Wickham, why on earth do you hate him so much?”

Darcy tensed, anger had risen and darkened his hard features. “Wickham is a sensitive subject”.

“Well, then tell me.”

“How do I know you won’t tell it to the world? You hate my guts.”

“You’re right, I do. And another thing, I hate you even more because what you’ve done to Jane.”

Darcy’s face softened, as if she had hit harm harshly. “What did I do to her?”

“You separated my sister from your best friend and for what? Because you thought she wasn’t good enough? Because of our social classes? What because she didn’t give him the goods?”

“No of course not, it wasn’t like that. Charlie was more in love I saw that Jane ever was, she kept her distance and it made Charlie doubt her feelings.”

“Because you convinced him of that! Jane poured her heart out to me, telling me that how in love with him she was-“

“Is that why she didn’t sleep with him?” Darcy asked coldly.

“What does that have to do with anything? She has her guard on, she got hurt.” she said as she stood up very close on her tippy toes looking directly at him.

“Is that really what you think of me? Well, I’m sorry for intruding, thank you for your time.”

“And thank you for proving to me again how much I hate you, _and_ for the being the last man on earth I could ever be with.”

“The last man on earth?” he repeated. “Really?”

“You seem to have such a natural hatred for everyone around you. I have never wanted to be with you, not today, not tomorrow not even next year.”

“I’m sorry for having caused you so much distress. I’ll leave you now.”

Lizzie let out a shaky breath and watched Darcy walked out the door.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy's unexpected letter offers perspective and Lizzie confronts George.

She didn’t know why she was crying, Darcy liking her? Loving her? She really didn’t think he could fall for anyone, and for so many months? It was flattering really, and even through the torment of the next months of working with him, she enjoyed the company of his friend, Fitz Williams. She wasn’t the type of person to walk out on a job just when drama had happened, but not just work related it was Darcy related. She imagined different ways of strangling him, ripping him by his neck and pushing him town to the ground. She wanted to know what exactly was going through his mind, when he hoped that she might have returned his feelings? She considered them at some point, and maybe on some level she had misunderstood him.

That didn’t matter, during her lunch break, she went back to her desk for the book and found a letter behind her bookmark. In very neat handwriting was her full name, in Darcy’s handwriting. She groaned as she opened it, and it very slanted but hurried handwriting she read:

_Elizabeth_ ,

_Don’t worry I won’t repeat what I said yesterday, I respect your space and promise to be at a comfortable distance from you. I will leave De Brough Papers in two weeks, but I wanted to talk to you. You were on your lunch break and I didn’t want to bother you; I know you don’t want to talk to me right now and I completely respect that, but I wanted to explain some accusations that we argued about last night._

_Firstly Jane, during the following week you and Jane stayed at the Netherfield Hotel, they liked each other very much. I don’t know Jane’s history with men but Charlie; I have known him longer and long enough to know that he falls in love quickly and comes to me for advice. When Jane was feeling better, I saw he was falling in love with her, but I didn’t see from my limited perspective that Jane sincerely felt the same way. If she did, then I didn’t see it, you are her sister and what you said last night opened my eyes. I am sorry that I didn’t see how much Jane loved Charlie and I’m sorry I separated them; I didn’t know that Jane was guarded._

_Our heated conversation last night unfortunately didn’t illuminate the whole history of you and George. I don’t know how well you know him, but I will now tell you that I was also George’s friend. His father was a friend of my father, they grew up with each other despite the social class difference. My father believed in tradition, and yes was conservative, much to my dismay but he also a great man. A man who thought of George as a son, he had paid for his college tuition after George’s father died. George was devastated, and to make matters even worse my own father fell ill._

_My father was George’s godfather and made sure he had enough money to live on, he was given a considerable sum into his checking account every month, I was to continue that tradition. He turned into a brainless, juvenile, idiotic, irresponsible man who went to Las Vegas and emptied out his account, he came to me asking for more, when I refused and he left after a long argument. What George Wickham told you was a lie, this is the truth and I hope you don’t mention this to anyone. George wanted to go to art school, I refused knowing his irresponsible behavior and then he had come back, when I was gone most of the year to go to develop more of Pemberley Works and when I came back George and Gigi were dating, knowing what kind of man he was I told Gigi that he was using her to get to me. Gigi ran crying to me, saying that she was in love with George and that everything would be all right, but it wasn’t until I explained to her incidents that I won’t go into much farther into, she believed me. I wrote a check that covered most of George’s debts; he left my sister she was only seventeen years old._

_Gigi hasn’t mentioned George’s name since he left, and in her own time she was grieving, after I explained to her what had happened she went into her room. I respect your confidence in this, if I don’t see you again I wish you good luck in your future endeavors. If you want to leave De Brough Paper’s I understand, I really admire your writing skills and look forward to reading more of your work if you intend on staying._

_Good luck,_

_FitzwilliamHenry Darcy_

Has much as she hated him, she believed him, to take the trouble of writing a letter and to deliver it. She hated that she no longer hated him; she was just confused. She believed he wouldn’t invent such a history, that George Wickham is a dick and a phony and the last person she wanted to talk to. She wanted to talk to talk to Darcy, ask him more questions and apologize for her behavior. Lizzie contemplated that she was so rude to him while he apologized about Jane and clarified her confusion.

She never really knew herself until now, misjudging people without knowing them. She tried to ask Darcy, nicely about George before he had rebuffed her and now he told her the whole story. Still, he had nicely told her about George and his sister, and although it must have been hard for him, she appreciated that he had confided in her about it.

Charlotte had said they were expecting him today to pick up a few papers in his office and had to go to another meeting. Queasy, building up the butterflies in her stomach, she felt the adrenaline fill her body up. She had never felt this way about Darcy; she didn’t hate him, she just didn’t understand him. Why he was stuffy and obnoxious must have been the same way she was prejudiced and judgmental, and she was sure he would have changed his behavior if she could have time to know him. These new thoughts came to her as she ate, but she didn’t have much of an appetite, Darcy would always be socially awkward, but she didn’t hate him for that. In fact she was sympathetic, maybe he didn’t know how to be pleasant amongst other people.

As he came she caught up to him, his letter in the back on her pocket, she grinned nervously. His hair was pushed to the side, his hair grew longer, it had more volume to it but he was looking towards the floor avoiding his gaze. “I don’t know what to call you now, I’ve always called you Darcy, do I call you Fitzwilliam now?”

He flushed at the mention of his full name. “C-call me Will, it's what my sister calls me.”

“All right, Will- I’ll get used to it. I just wanted to say I’m so sorry that I judged you and that I yelled to you about George. It’s my fault that we got off at the wrong foot and I would like to be your friend if you’ll let me.”

Looking up, meeting her eyes with his-good grief he has beautiful eyes. Dark and full of emotion, Lizzie never noticed them so until now.“Friends? Well, I’m not so sure.”

“If it’s hard-”

She chuckled nervously.

“No, it's not that it's just I’m going back with Fitz in two weeks, and I’ll be booked with meetings and expanding Pemberley Works but I’ll be back in England soon- I don’t know when I’ll be back in America but I’ll text you and we’ll go from there.”

She nodded as his coworkers who raised an eyebrow at her surrounded him. They were friends, or as close to friends as they could be.

________

After being offered a few days break Elizabeth went back to her apartment where Jane visited. The sisters, being inseparable since birth talked on all matters. Elizabeth told Jane the whole history of how Darcy came to visit her, and the confession that made her question what entirely she had misinterpreted Darcy’s behavior somehow. His hard stares that starred her straight in the face, and those weird smirks had told her that he had fallen in love with her. Trusting her sister, Elizabeth handed her Darcy’s letter.

“We’ve known George our whole lives! He’s been our friend, he’s done so much for us..”

“It was all a trick to get into my pants or either expose us, I don’t know but I rather call him right now and confront him.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Jane asked, remembering there were certain things, not involving his sister that he didn’t mention. George was after people being pitied by him, and from that pity he wanted money.

Elizabeth, although loved her sister knew that Jane could never be as brave as she could be. She could slap people on the face and call them out on their bullshit without even blinking an eye. “Jane, you think too well of anyone.”

“I’m here, if you need me,” Jane replied sweetly as Elizabeth dialed George’s number.

“Lizzie?” George asked. “What’s up?”

Attempting to be polite, she replied: “I wanted to ask you something. Is it true that you used Will Darcy’s sister to get to him? For the money that you were denied?”

“What lies has Darcy been feeding you, Lizzie?”

“I think that you are the one that has been feeding me lies, George,” she replied coldly. “you were given the money you wanted, and you gambled it all away. And then you go after his sister? She was seventeen years old for god’s sake, and you were what twenty-one? George, I don’t want to speak to you ever again.”

“Lizzie, I care about you-“

“No, I don’t believe you ever did, and you won’t get any money from my family, or me I can tell you that.”

“This is crazy, you can’t end our friendship over this.”

“Actually, yes I can,” Lizzie replied and hung up the phone.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy and Lizzie try to be friends, and Gigi sheds more light of her relationship with George.

Darcy’s phone number was highlighted blue on Lizzie’s phone, she did not understand what to talk to him about. Until now she had hated him, and now she was just confused. About his behavior, now he was insecure and so unsure. It was endearing really, her heart swelled when she saw his blue eyes. She opened her browser and started looking up pictures of him; she found his sister’s Instagram and saw one photo of them at the Tower of London. She smiled, and swelled at what Gigi had gone through, to fall in love only to be betrayed. It explained Darcy’s behavior to be so mistrusting, as she remembered at Netherfield.

_“I know other people misjudge me and mistake my pride for arrogance-“_

_“Your fault is that you find it hard to forgive people. Do you find people distrusting?”_

_Darcy’s face softened, he looked down at his computer and smirked. “Yes, I do. Trust is gained.”_

Lizzie didn’t realize what he had meant until now. Darcy would be gone in a few weeks and she would never hear from him again, after all that has happened between them, what was she expecting, a text, a phone call? She couldn’t imagine he was comfortable talking face to face on a camera, so instead she wrote the most neutral word she could use:

_Hey_

It was now the fifth time she was writing, and this one she sent. Nervous about what he would say, after well she rejected him. He seemed so calm when she ran into him; he seemed so hurt before; she swore it was the only emotion he actually saw on his facesince she had seen him.

_Lizzie._

He answered her back! _I’m sorry about how I rebuffed you, I didn’t think you overheard._

_You’re still concerned about that? That was two months ago, believe me your letter was enough you apologized for Jane and opened my eyes in a new way._

She swore she heard his voice in the back of her mind, as if she had memorized him from the shape of his mouth, to the sound of his voice. His soft eyes were full of emotion, his voice was so sincere and she could just hear it as he typed. _I’m glad to offer some perspective, I did not mean it to be in such a harsh way._

_It wasn’t, Will; it wasn’t._

_I hope to see you soon. I have to go in a minute.”_

_See you later._

No one in her family could break down Elizabeth’s stubborn pride, and the person she hated most had. It was in the most unexpected way, although he insulted her as he confessed that he was in love. Was he still, even after she had yelled at him, was she still close to his heart? Why was she so concerned about that?

Shutting her phone off, she left for the night, hoping never to see Fitzwilliam Darcy again. She called him Will, and that seemed so personal, as if they were on intimate terms. After all of that, it surprised her that she found it was so easy to call him that. Was she starting to like him? No, maybe sympathize with him, perhaps and maybe even friends would be good for them.

__________

Darcy could not help feeling that he had hoped, she called him Will. She was on his thoughts as he pushed the thoughts of his aunt behind him. He had to learn how to be friendly again; he had been publicly known, thanks to Elizabeth Bennet to insult her. He hadn’t known of what he said or how he acted and Elizabeth was proof of that. This love hadn’t faded away, and he decided that he could win her heart. He could keep texting her and trying to talk to her, and maybe he could put time aside to be with her.

His sister would have loved her, they would have gotten along if his behavior would have been what Elizabeth would have wanted from the beginning. What had she wanted from him? Communication seemed to be the stumbling block in their relationship, and unfortunately he couldn’t read her as easily. If George hadn’t ruined his life, he would have been kinder, as Gigi had known him to be. He couldn’t force her to love him, if she could but he could at least try to win her somehow, that was his plan as he made his way back to his town house.

_________

“Are you friends’ now?” Jane asked, as Lizzie visited her family, as one thing she had done recently. She couldn’t deal with work now, she couldn’t think of Catherine De Brough and her expensive dinners without thinking of Will Darcy.

“Don’t tell me you are friends with Will Darcy,” Lydia grumbled. “he ruined George’s life.”

“Lydia, you’re too young to understand there are two sides to this story,” Elizabeth growled at her.

Jane snapped a hard look at her. “Well, Will Darcy cheated him out of what was rightfully his,” Lydia snapped.

“Will Darcy had a reason, George hurt his family, his sister was hurt-“

“Oh Lizzie, don’t tell me you’re defending him after all the shit you’ve said about him..”

“I do actually, I was wrong and you too. Darcy is…misunderstood. Why are you so defensive anyhow?”

“No reason,” Lydia demurely replied.

“Do you _like_ George?” Lizzie demanded.

“I’ve always liked George Lizzie, and I won’t listen to you talk about him that way,” Lydia replied.

“You shouldn’t hang out with George, Lydia- he’s dangerous.”

“You can’t tell me what to do,” Lydia snapped and shut the screen door behind her.

Lizzie rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Lizzie, you can’t force her to change her opinion, she’s too young to understand what you’re saying.”

“I don’t want her to be used the way Darcy’s sister did,” Lizzie replied softly as Jane rubbed her shoulders. “I don’t want her to get hurt.”

“Maybe you should try to calmly explain that to her,” Jane suggested.

“I can’t explain that to her when she’s too stubborn to listen,” Lizzie rebuffed.

“Maybe you should approach her differently,” Jane pressed on. “you and Darcy are more similar than you think. Tell her the whole story, she can handle it.”

_________

Lizzie took her sister’s advice, but she didn’t think she could have the patience to explain how Darcy behaved, and how she knew that George Wickham was spreading lies about him. She hadn’t never known him to have such integrity enough to know that he could still have an effort to be friends with her after she rejected him. To never mention his feelings again and yet sit beside her and yet talk to her was amazing. What was amazing was that they could still talk, their phone calls over the last few days although short were rewarding? He told her that evening she didn’t need his permission to tell Lydia the truth.

“How’s Gigi?” she asked as she heard in the background people talking.

He had her on Facetime audio, since seeing each other face to face was too awkward for him. “I think she has a new boyfriend now.”

“She does?” Lizzie replied, her teasing underneath her politeness. She was sly, and mischievous and unbelievably clever.

“I can hear the subtle teasing behind your voice, and yes and I have to say I am very protective of her.”

“Just try not to be too much the overprotective type, because that will push her away. Give her space.”

“I will, thank you. I’m getting off now, I’ll talk to you soon.”

Lizzie found that she didn’t want the conversation to an end. There was that endearing voice again, and it almost made her heart melt.

__________

“You’re obsessive again,” Jane says as Lizzie has her five books in her hand.

“About books?”

“No, about Darcy. I can tell you’re thinking about him, and if you overthink it's going to make you even more confused about your feelings.”

Sometimes Jane spoke words of wisdom, but this time she was just plain wrong. Lizzie gave her a sharp look as a Neil Gaiman book came across her eye. “I don’t have feelings they are just gratitude-I just have platonic feelings right now…”

“Platonic..sure,” Jane laughed as Lizzie carried her books. Darcy was right, she loved books too much, she would have never admitted it to him.

“I’m grateful for getting rid of Wickham, and for him apologizing about you and Charlie. He really went out of his way to apologize to me about it.”

“I don’t think I knew Charlie all that well,” Jane admitted. “I went to see him, I left several voicemails he hasn’t even answered yet.”

“I know you don’t want to believe me but I think Charlie is easily convinced otherwise, he would have never believed you unless Darcy or Caroline had suggested..”

“Caroline is a difficult person,” Jane said as Lizzie raised an eyebrow. “I think it was me sincerely, if I wasn’t on my guard Charlie would have never left and Darcy would have never convinced him.”

“Being on your guard or not,” Lizzie pressed on, to be sure Jane heard her point.“Charlie should have broken down those walls, and I believe that you two would have been happier together.”

“Thanks Lizzie, just trust that some things are just not meant to be,” Jane said as they walked back to the car.

Lizzie had honestly wished that she could smack Caroline in the face, and Louisa if she had anything to do with it. Just as soon as she got home, Lizzie received an unexpected call from Gigi. “Gigi?”

“Hey, Lizzie,” she said cheerfully. “how are you?”

“I’m okay, I’m fine. Don’t mean to sound rude, but why are you calling?”

Gigi chuckled nervously, her breath sounding like a stereo from the bad reception. “Darcy has told me a lot about you, and I wanted to talk to you about some things that he probably didn’t mention. He was just trying to protect me, but I think I should tell you more. He trusts you, and I trust you.”

Lizzie looked from the ground and nervously bit her lip. “You do?”

“I can trustyou with knowledge of George Wickham, right?”

“Y-yes. Listen, Darcy told me enough, you don’t have to tell me anything that you don’t want to.”

“I want to, it’s my story, it's my choice,” Gigi replied sternly.

“All I know really was that Darcy found you and George, he wrote George a check and he left you.”

“Its not as simple as that, are you sitting down? This could be a lot to handle.”

Not really caring, Lizzie starred at a window of her old room. “I’m listening.”

“Charlie, George and Darcy grew up together and as a kid I sort of had a childish crush on George, he was always looking out for me. He taught me how to paint, to draw and to swim. He told me I can stand up for myself and it made me feel great about what I can do. As the years went by, George and Will hung out together more and I made new friends from the college. George visited me during one visit when I came home for Christmas. We just talked for hours about everything, he was charming and he stayed with me. I was twenty-one, and he was at least two years younger than Will- the age difference didn’t matter. I thought that I was in love with him, and by the time George and I got intimate, Will found us offered George the check and I never saw him again. George has done some terrible things, such as cheat, drug girls, and I’m sure he has told you known of this. Charlie and Will found out a lot of things from friends, I’m sorry that he used you. Block his number, anyway that you can just get him out of your life.”

“Gigi,” Lizzie croaked, her voice barely audible. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s over now, just keep him away from your family.”

“I’ve known him all my life, I just can’t believe someone who can act so charming can be so manipulative and conniving.”

“Yes, George can do that,” Gigi replied nonchalantly.

“I have a terrible feeling about him and my sister,” Lizzie admitted.

“I’ll call Will, and he’ll come right over-”

“No, I don’t want him to interfere, please I can handle it myself. If it gets any worse, I’ll call him.”

“I hope that everything will be okay, and I wish Lydia the best,” Gigi replied.

“Thanks, Gigi.”

“Call me Georgina,” she replied cheerfully.

“Okay, Georgiana,” Lizzie replied warmly.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update here you go :D

Georgina, took a pad as she wrote down all she knew of George, her heart burned as she wrote all she knew. All she wanted to convey, it felt as though she was lifting a heavy brick and it was destroyed. Talking to Lizzie made it a little better, she had been to a therapist, but it was worth more to talk to someone her brother justice. Just as she thought of him, he came in just as she was writing.

“Gigi?”

“Hey,” she replied solemnly.

“What are you doing?” he asked concerned.

“I’m just writing everything that happened, I figured that if I make it publicly known-it would all end. No more girls would be harmed, everything would be right again.”

Huffing, he pressed his face into his hands. “You can’t undo what he’s done.”

“I can humiliate him, that’ll be enough.”

“Gigi, I know you’re upset about what happened, but you can’t change that. Listen, I promised our parents I would protect you and that includes keeping you away from George. You’ve proven to me that you’re not mature enough to face him, you’re too sensitive.”

“How do you know that?” Gigi cried impatiently.

“Cause I know you.”

“What would Lizzie tell you to do?” she asked.

He blushed, looking down he considered it. “The last time she talked, she told me to trust you even with your boyfriend.”

“Damien,” Georgina smiled. “I know better now-“

“I know,” he replied softly. “don’t repeat it, I know. I know you trust him, and for my peace of mind, I would like to meet him.”

Georgina laughed as Darcy masked a serious face, but he still ended up laughing. “You’ll get her, you just have to be the charming brother I know I love.” Holding her close to him, he kissed her forehead.

“I love you, too.”

___________

The Darcy’s parents Anne and Dwayne, were total opposites, but they loved each other very much. Anne was American and Dwayne was starting fresh, he had lost a part of himself and fell in love with Anne. While Will was undeniably his father’s son, Dwayne had named his son after his father, Fitzwilliam Darcy. It had been a long succession of seven Darcy’s, and Anne had accepted the responsibility.

Anne fitted well into the Darcy life, with Pemberley Works, the Darcy’s were one of the firsts companies to make computers, phones and tablets and were a successful competitor with Apple, Windows and IBM. She was the sister of of Catherine De Brough, who had too many marriages and had only one surviving child to show for it, she was embarrassed for Dwayne who seemed to take it lightly. Dwayne’s father broke the tradition of the classic family name, Fitzwilliam V wasn’t too happy with his son’s choice of bride but Dwayne didn’t care. Soon Anne’s health had declined and as a result she died from cancer, leaving Will and Georgina solely dependent on their father.

Dwayne, shocked from his wife’s stage of cancer, was heartbroken. By the time the doctor’s had found it she was already at stage four of lung cancer, and the truth had come as quite as a shock to Georgina, the youngest just at thirteen, was close to her mother, both humble and had a good nature, Georgina saw her own reflection in her mother’s eyes. Georgina took the death to heart and took a year from school. With the Darcy family, it was a requirement to go to college and graduate school, as Will inherited the family money and the business, he made sure Georgina was taken care of.

Will originally had the name of Fitzwilliam and then willingly had changed it to William just has he had started the business. He had only a few girlfriends, but his father left him emotionally unavailable, he had closed himself off, and put himself forward in Pemberley Works he never really accounted on falling in love with anyone.

Caroline, had caught his eye once, a long time ago when he became friends with Charlie during high school, and slowly became focused on schoolwork. His interest in math and computer science had impressed both his professors and teachers. He had an adequate and impressive vocabulary thought had gotten him through English classes, but as much as he tried to be a good business man and a loving brother he always felt as though something was missing from his life.

“You have nearly everything you could ever want, except the one thing you really want,” Gigi said to him once. William took it deep into consideration, especially now when texting Elizabeth and finding the space in between the reality that was holding him back and the impulse to give in completely. He didn’t dare confess his feelings again, he was trying to begun socially aware of people’s feelings and Elizabeth wasn’t ready to reciprocate. She noticed, and teased him frequently that he was smiling and laughing more and even more so, she could talk to him face to face through video call. They would talk on other social media apps, but it wasn’t the same as meeting in person.

“Lizzie?” he asked.

“Hmmm?”

“Are you busy?”

“No, I’m just worried about my sister, she hasn’t come home yet, and she didn’t tell us where she was going. I don’t know I’m confused.”

“Was she with anyone?” Darcy asked, his voice filled with concern.

“I don’t know I’m nervous. Just stay on the phone with me for a while, until she comes all right? Can you do that?”

Surprised that she was so vulnerable, he stayed silent for a minute and replied: “Sure.”

She whispered a quiet notion of gratitude as they stayed on the phone until Lydia appeared in the driveway. Lizzie couldn’t see the man she was with, and she could only hear the background chatter on Darcy’s end, but all she saw was Lydia run up quickly into her room.

“Should I call back?” Darcy asked, gingerly.

“Yeah, I’ll call you back,” she said self consciously and followed Lydia determinedly to her room.

Blaring music through her locked room, Lizzie knocked and saw Lydia blasting music from her computer speakers and finally while wearing a crop top said, “Lizzie, I rather be left alone. And haven’t you moved out?”

“Well I can’t officially move out until I know that you’re okay.”

“Well you’re not Mom and Dad,” Lydia replied as Lizzie ran to pause the music on her computer.

“No, I’m not, I’m worse. Mom and Dad neglected you, and I will make sure you don’t end up going down the wrong path.”

“Ever since you’ve known that Darcy guy, you’re just been plain mean and more judgmental that usual. And stop, you have turned mean Lizzy, Charlotte is gone, Jane is an emotional wreck still because of your friends and I don’t want to be anywhere near you right now.”

“Darcy has nothing to do with this,” Lizzie yelled back.

“Yes he does, before he and Bingley came into our lives you wouldn’t care about me growing up, you were just like Mom and Dad.”

“That’s not true,” Lizzie replied her voice small and gentle.

“Yes it is,” Lydia replied coldly and closed the door on Lizzie’s face.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for my brief absence. So in this story Catherine is very backwards minded, and of course does not understand what Gigi had went through. She is very antifeminist.

“Jane, had Lydia really been right?” Elizabeth asked Jane just as she went back to Charlotte’s apartment, Jane had driven her.

“Of course not, you’re not like our parents, as much as we love them, they are not perfect.”

Dragging her suitcase up the steps, Elizabeth agreed. Her mother, accountably known for her poor matchmaking skills, was also known for being involved with her daughter’s lives but blissfully ignorant of what her daughters had wanted, or looked in for a man. Previously known for matching Elizabeth up with Collins the first time, in a romantic way Elizabeth knew that her mother now only wanted what was best for her daughters.

Her father known to be a professor, was too busy grading papers in his office, on his computer and answer his email. Elizabeth couldn’t help but thank her mother, for she knew that if Collins didn’t offer her the business deal in the first place, she would have never considered go back. Even though her boss Catherine, had no social skills, like her nephew, she enjoyed getting paid so much.

Seeing Darcy’s face every day wasn’t so terrible, and maybe she liked him, maybe. She was grateful for her friendship, and even after their argument, she was glad they were trying no matter how stubborn the both of them are. “Oh, they are far from perfect. Did I tell you about Collin’s proposal?”

“Lydia mentioned he was very persistent,” Jane laughed. “but that poor guy, he recognized your talent, admire that but he must have felt so bad about you refusing him. At least he got you.”

“That’s not funny, I would want to write my own stories. Catherine De Brough always gives me such boring topics.”

“Maybe you should look somewhere else. Pemberley, this new magazine, gets lots of amazing reads,” Jane said as she opened her phone to show Elizabeth the website.

“Pemberley, why does that ring a bell?” Elizabeth asked.

__________

“You’re leaving?” Catherine asked her nephew, her chin pointed up as Darcy relaxed a little. She sounded more relieved than hurt.

“Gigi wants to make Wickham’s character publicly known, and I made it happen for her. The process is a little rough. Gigi told me that he forced himself on her. I’m go to out him on anyway I can.”

“What she wearing?” Catherine asked.

Darcy felt his blood boil, his eyes stung. “Catherine, you know and I do that what someone is wearing is not the point. George Wickham hurt her and I will make him pay.”

“Very well, it's your choice. You know I care about Georgiana, but I can’t help but feel that she made the whole thing up.”

Gathering his belongings Darcy left her aunt’s sight to turn off the lights. “She would never lie to me, I was there. I know how it went down.”

Hoping to ease the tension and change the subject, his aunt replied: “Well sent me an email when you want to come back.”

Right now Darcy just wanted to go home, be with his sister give her support and be with Lizzy if he could. As he walked out of the office, he closed the lights behind him and drove back home. Gigi, opening the lights greeted him and excitedly asked him about the Bennets, asked him about Charlie and then very seriously asked what I could do about George.

Only just recently starting on the situation Darcy could only give his sister hope.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, here you go. When Elizabeth goes to work for Pemberley magazine, she didn't expect to see Will Darcy there to greet her. Will this second chance give Darcy a chance to win Elizabeth's heart?

Catherine, although intense had admired Elizabeth’s writing talents was not a very good boss. Elizabeth had to admit she hated working for Darcy’s aunt. Her ideas and the expensive dinners, it wasn’t her world. She wanted something safe, small and comfortable and that’s when she found Pemberley magazine, Darcy’s small company that fit her needs and her income. Part of her wanted to just talk to him face to face, tell him-what did she want to say? Why couldn’t she make up her mind about him?

It upset Charlotte about losing her closest friend and even questioned her friend’s choice of scenery a little. Pemberley headquarters was far away, even though the original building was in England Darcy had chosen to run the second business there. The job listings were posted, and he nearly laughed out loud when he found Elizabeth’s name. There had to be a dozen people with the name of Bennet. Could it just be a coincidence there Elizabeth wanted the job? The hiring manager thought it was a fool not to accept her since she had such an impressive resumé, her own sample of her writing showed she improved greatly in her skills since her time with his aunt.

His aunt’s cruelty he had wanted to make amends for her behavior and his own behavior in the past. What he didn’t know was in that in a few weeks she would work for him, and he would hardly even seen her. He would be too busy building the company to care for anyone. The two days he had were to his sister, her story was out and printed in Pemberley magazine to let girls especially be on their guard for men who see innocent girls and take advantage of them. Gigi was proud of herself, she found herself confidence building and even came to stay with a few friends.

________

Elizabeth, was staying with Charlotte and an old classmate Madeline Gardiner and her husband Adam Gardiner. Maddy had also wanted to work with Elizabeth at Pemberley, since she had grown up there as a girl it felt more at home to be in the sites of the city. Elizabeth, walking with Maddy to the bus stop was anxious if she would ever see him. Her hands sweat at that very prospect of seeing him. “Maddy, he’s not there is he?”

“Why are so anxious of seeing him? No, it’s least likely that he’ll be there. Have you ever met him?”

“A few times over the years,” Elizabeth lied. She wasn’t even sure if they were even friends, just people who didn’t know how to communicate.

As they entered one of the managers, Penny Reynolds showed them around sharing a brief history of the Darcy family. Elizabeth listened in astonishment as she heard her manager talk about her boss as they had been close since childhood. Penny sang Darcy’s praises as Elizabeth felt her cheeks heat. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, Darcy kind, thoughtful and sincere caring about his workers and talking with his managers. As Elizabeth set up at her desk and her computer she groaned when she heard the familiar voice. He was mumbling in agreement when he opened the door and saw her. They both blushed out of embarrassment, as Elizabeth stuttered Darcy gulped audibly. 

“Elizabeth.”

“Darcy, um-what are you doing here?”

“I own the building,” he replied tonelessly.

She chuckled awkwardly. “Well, I know that, but I mean how-?”

“I came to talk with the manager, Mrs.Reynolds,” he replied. “How are you? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, how are you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Listen, I can’t stay here I have to go.”

“W-hat no, please Elizabeth stay. Don’t make me being here awkward.”

She smiled awkwardly and moved out of her desk space. “I can’t.”

She would just come back tomorrow, right now she couldn’t deal with seeing Darcy. He looked so fragile; she was afraid of saying anything more that might upset him or might make him feel anymore uncomfortable. He called her name, it took all her strength not to turn around and apologize. She walked down into the street and called an Uber. There he was, his hair was longer and it was tucked behind his ears. “Elizabeth, please, stay.”

“I can’t, I thought I could be here and it wouldn’t be awkward working for you and it is.”

“Elizabeth, it doesn’t have to be awkward like that. You like it here don’t you?”

“I love it, the office space is so comfortable. The people are really nice.”

“You haven’t met Gigi yet have you?” he asked. “sometimes she walks around.”

“No, I didn’t see her.”

“Cancel the Uber, come back. I like seeing you here, you looked really happy. I want you to meet Gigi also, just please, I’ll take you out for lunch on your lunch break.”

She blinked, he was so talking so fast, probably because he was nervous. “Did you just ask me out?”

“No, I mean if you wanted it to be. It’s just lunch between friends.”

She nodded as he took her hand. “I want us to be friends.” They shook hands as they went back to the building.

____________

Elizabeth was slowly excited about lunch, she was a little nervous but he was so careful now and more aware of what he says and does. They took his luxury car, that he drove her in back from Rosings. He let her put the music that she liked as they drove quietly. They talked about Jane and Charlie, and Gigi. “Gigi kind of reminds me of Lydia,” Darcy blurted.

“In what way?” Elizabeth asked as he held the door open for her.

“They are both energetic. As soon as Gigi gets comfortable around people she is a social butterfly. I don’t know why I’m like that.”

“You’re more gentle than she is. You’re careful even if your words sometimes take offense.”

He grinned, actually grinned at her. She heart swelled at his beautiful white smile. As they both ate their food, Elizabeth asked about Pemberley. “Pemberley, oh god, where do I even begin?”

“Where did the name even come from in the first place? What does the word mean?”

“Pemberley was named after the estate my family comes from in England. They came to England in the early twentieth century. The reason I came here to America is that I enjoy the people, there is a certain richness to life more than England will have. I grew up in a large manor, with unused rooms I preferred a smaller life.”

“How did you change so much?” she asked out of the blue.

He chuckled as he chewed his salad. “I didn’t change, you just misjudged me.”

“When we were at the Netherfield Hotel you were so uptight, aloof and selfish. Now you’re so kind and thoughtful and taking me out, I’m till trying to draw you out in my mind.”

Feeling encouraged, he took her hand in his from across the table, tracing the delicate lines on her hand. She saw a side she had never seen before, and she liked him. “Elizabeth, I want to continue this.”

“Our friendship?” she asked.

“No, our dates. If you feel the same way about me as you at Rosings I understand, but I don’t want you to be confused anymore I want you to know me as me not as someone who is socially deranged. I’m comfortable at my home, here in California. Just try me out for size, please.”

“Sit on this side,” she said as the color left his cheeks.

He moved closer to her, noticing how steady her breathing was. “Can I date you, Elizabeth Bennet?”

“Yes, but only if you call me Lizzie.”

“That is one thing I will not do. I will call you Elizabeth for as long as I know you.”

“Fine,” she groaned as she rolled her eyes she leaned forward she kissed him gently.


	15. Chapter 15

Darcy blinked rapidly at Lizzie, who was also smiling like a little girl given an indulgence of chocolate. He pressed his head against hers and took one arm, wrapping around her waist crossing her lips against his. Lizzie let out a little moan, and oh dear there were people watching them. The journalists, photographers and curious people were watching Will Darcy passionately kiss this dirty brunette women who leaned against him in delight.

Lizzie, couldn’t help but wonder if she could build her life here, if for one second Darcy could be her home, and if she stayed here long enough, she could find out where her heart lied. Darcy asked for him to introduced to Maddy, who was informed by Lizzie’s snap judgments of how cold and severe he was, found that he was warm and very polite. It made Lizzie happy that she agreed to date him, they had after talking for a long time gone to a bar at night. In the small corner of the _Grey Mare,_ was a small quiet corner.

Maddy was dark-skinned tone, she wore teacher like glasses and had straight black frizzy hair that was tied in a loose bun. Darcy and her found out that they had grown a mile away from each other, they could have in fact seen and known each other. They talked of an old sweet shop that was very popular in England that they had both gone too. They shared old memories and laughed. Maddy had ordered them all drinks, and Darcy had eventually had given in to dancing.

Dressing in a tie, and nice clean shirt fit for work Darcy held on to Lizzy, relaxing in the most awkward but tender way. He took her hands and kissed her palms. She sighed contently and rested a weary head against his shoulder.

________

“Wait hold up you’re what?” Charlotte asked. “You’re dating who exactly?”

“Charlotte, you know who,” Lizzie groaned. “you have teased me several times about thisduring text and video calls.”

“I can’t believe this, but what you told me about what he did to George and Jane.”

“He’s trying to become a better person, and you don’t know the half of it about his history with George, he apologized to me about Jane- Darcy is complicated. Now he’s so sweet, taking me about with my friends and taking me to his house for dinner. He’s changed.”

“Oh well, I knew he was misunderstood, I’m glad he’s finally learning,” Charlotte laughed. “I have to ask, is he a good kisser?”

Lizzie blushed red at the very mention, she let out a wide grin. “I could practically hear you from the other end blushing.”

“Shut up girl,” Lizzie smiled and hung up the phone for Darcy was picking her up again for another date.

_________

Darcy’s arm was snaked around her waist as he closed the door behind him. With one flexible hand she reached behind her and locked the door. She didn’t even know what to say to him at the time, she was so mesmerized by his now recently short hair and reading glasses that he kept in his breast pocket.

Their lips crushed for a kiss, his hand cradled the back of of her small head. There was nothing soft or gentle about the kiss, it was filled with want and relief. Darcy, for having wanting her for so long and yearning for so many months. Looking down, he took her hand and walked her towards the elevator. “Thank you for coming along with Maddy and me to the Grey Mare, it meant a lot to me.”

“I think Charlotte is my favorite friends out of yours, but I think I’ll like Madeline just as well. I’m not a fan of loud music, it frustrates me, I get headaches a lot fromloud music.”

“When I first thought I knew you I thought that maybe you might have been autistic?” she asked.

“I am, it explains the social awkwardness and sometimes rude comments.”

“Were you in special education?”

“I was for a year or two, but I impressed my teachers and they supported me through mainstream classes,” he replied.

“You have improved in your social skills since we last met I think,” Elizabeth replied thoughtfully, starring at his gaze.

“I have improved my manners to impress you in hope of seeing you again,” he said, flashing a grin.

She leaned in and kissed him firmly on the side of his lips. Before she could turn away, he pulled her back in with full tongue in cheek kiss. She sighed contentedly and smiled against his lips. His kisses were so intoxicating, it was almost as if it was like a science, as if he could see her whole soul, she thought that maybe just possibly she could fall in love with him.

The surprise date came as a shock, Maddy and her husband along with Caroline, and Charlie. With Caroline she knew that she had some influence of prying her brother away from Jane. With full determined speed Elizabeth practically sped walked to Caroline. Her immaculate long blonde hair was pulled to one said with hairspray, her eyes darted like lasers to Darcy like a bird coming down on its prey.

“Elizabeth,” Caroline said with a forced smile. The same friendliness Elizabeth had remembered at Netherfield, the same buttering up to know more about what Elizabeth had thought of Darcy. The very thought of seeing Jane heartbroken over Charlie came to Elizabeth’s face and made her blood boil over with anger.

“Caroline,” Elizabeth said, treading carefully.

“You know you are stepping over broken class, being seen with Will Darcy. You know Darcy has never belonged to you, you took him away from me. You don’t think I don’t know what you are doing applying to be at Pemberley, but I do know now. If you take Darcy away from me, what I did to Jane will be the least of your worries.”

“You really think you can threaten me like that? I am dating Will Darcy, my future at Pemberley was entirely coincidental and don’t you dare make assumptions about me.”

As Darcy grabbed her arm from behind her, her anger soon subsided. “I heard that, you were incredible.”

“Thank you. She’s a real piece of work.”

“Whatever she said wasn’t true, you have to believe that, Caroline is just a jealous snobby nobody.”

“I will beat the shit out of her later,” Elizabeth replied quite seriously, but Darcy was merely laughing. He kissed her temple as Charlie hugged her warmly.

“Lizzie, how are your sisters, how is everyone?”

“Don’t you mean to ask how’s Jane?” Lizzie asked with a slightly pressing smiling.

Charlie grinned ear to ear embarrassed, he looked to the ground. “Sorry, it was too embarrassing a question to ask.”

“It’s alright. Could you just call and ask her yourself?” Lizzie asked a little more direct than intended.

“I should, but what if I hurt her so badly she doesn’t want to come back to me?”

“You have to at least take the first step and try talking to her first and listening as a friend.”

Charlie took her hand and mumbled a quick thank you before Darcy took her hand and lead her back to the dance floor, the music and the food. Even the ceiling was so high that Elizabeth swore she could see the starlight through the see through glass as she looked up. Darcy’s hands landed on her back, reminding her of the Netherfield dance. “I saw your world, I wanted to show you mine.”

“It's wonderful, it looks like a fairytale out of a book.”

“I wanted to give you everything that you deserve. I showed you an ugly side of me first, I wanted you to know there was something you have always wanted someone who cares about you.”

___________

Darcy could speak pretty when he needed to, he certainly had a way with words when it came to the people he cared about. He surprised Elizabeth constantly with warm gestures and introduced her to his sister. Gigi and her had instantly become friends, and spent the day together wandering around San Fransisco, Gigi had shared stories of the Darcy family and eventually the story of Gigi’s real name had come up.

“What does Gigi stand for? Not Gertrude I hope,” Elizabeth laughed as Darcy held her from behind.

“It’s actually Georgiana it’s a family name. Well, Will’s name is Fitzwilliam, He dropped the Fitz.”

Darcy’s laugh vibrated against her. “Our parents are very traditional.”

“It’s okay, it makes me like you even more.”


	16. Chapter 16

“Really, the names?” Darcy couldn’t help but asking.

“I’m a geek, and I love that you come from such a historic family. “

He pressed a kiss to her hair and took her by her hand, with a wild adventurous look in his eyes. Elizabeth laughed as he took her to a large room upstairs that was a gathering paintings and artifacts. Being interested in history as well as books, Lizzie watched as Darcy had unfolded the packaging that was protecting the oils from the paintings that revealed a hundred-year-old painting of Darcy’s great grandparents.

The paint, faded and aged from time had created a sepia around the painting. In thecorner was the name of the grandmother: Mabel Darcy and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Will had looked so much like his father, in his exact image almost exactly in the sharpness of his jawline and his eyes.

“He looks almost exactly like you,” Lizzie said kneeling down.

“Fitzwilliam and Mabel came from England in the sixteenth century. There is one of their son just behind them.”

“Thank you for showing me, it means a lot you want to share everything with me.”

“Good,” he smiled shyly and kissed her quickly.

“There were a lot of things I was wrong about you, and kissing was definitely one of them. You might not have a lot of words, but when you speak and the way you express yourself physically, I can finally see you now.”

He leaned in closer and lifted her chin and kissed her fiercely and pushed her against him. She couldn’t escape, his arms stopped her. He wanted her now and she could feel it, she could feel everything that told her hormones at a rage. She had sex before, but this was different, she was having stronger feelings than she had ever felt, but this was falling in love, maybe. She had to chance to be with someone she cared about it. “Elizabeth…” he moaned kissing her on her throat. “I want you…”

“I thought it would be the last thing that I wanted to say, but I want you too.”

She kissed him softly as first, unsure as to what to do as Darcy wrapped his arm around her neck to support her. His lips were soft and inviting, he was so intense there was nothing loving his mind was too filled with lust to know of anything us. She took off her jean jacket and let it fall down at the floor, forgetting about it easily.

“Where is your bedroom?”

Happy that her mood had matched his, he lifted her bridal style not letting his lips leaving hers. He kicked open the door and undressed quickly and helped Elizabeth, as she giggled at how fast it was moving and lied down on the linen sheets looking up at him. She traced him, seeing his scars and memorizing the shape of his muscles and arms.

Leaving the lights on, Elizabeth and Darcy fell in love moving as one.

_________

Lydia met George again at a party, after he had her drunk and vulnerable at the party he had to track of her, now he had found her again. Lydia had trusted him blindly after he came to save her from a group of men that were trying to take advantage of her, which of course was all staged. Lydia trusted him because of this staged production, had begun a relationship with him. She left home and stated that she had wanted to be independent, away from her sisters. Elizabeth had been at Pemberley with her new boyfriend, so Elizabeth didn’t care obviously about who she was dating and she believed George when he told her that he had always admired her more than Elizabeth.

She stayed often George is his apartment; they slept in the same bed, staying in bed late in the morning. They would let their bodies move with each other until it was noon. They would hang out with his friend Denny, and order takeout and eat pizza.

He took her from her cross-legged position on his bed until she was from behind him. She leaned against and felt everything fall into place for her. “Do you love me?” she asks.

“Mhmmm,” he mumbled as he grabs his shirt that he had put on the floor and lazily threw it on him.

She doesn’t know if he even can love anyone. She was just a fling, something to keep him distracted. As he grabbed his keys, he left without a word as Lydia groaned in frustration and threw a pillow at the closed door.

______

Elizabeth fell asleep on top of his arm, she blushed at the thought of their bodies moving through the night. Everything movement was heated on emotions and hormones. She chuckled at the fact that he was sleeping, his mouth half open. His face was still nonchalant without so much as an emotion, but he showed plenty of emotion last night. All her presumptions about him had disappeared, as she leaned in closer. The rising blood orange sun came to the window, blinding Lizzie’s eyes for a second before they focused. “Are you awake?” he asked.

“I thought you were asleep.”

“I was only pretending to be asleep so I wouldn’t wake you. Are you okay? Did I hurt you too much?”

“No,” she assured him. “I love seeing the vulnerable side of you.”

“I’m only vulnerable with those that I love.”

“I look forward to repeating it very soon,” she teased.

He kissed the crevasse in between her breasts and pulled himself on top of her as she anchored her ankles on his shoulders. “I want more kisses,” she begged as he smiled more than she had seen him. He turn to her neck, as he suckled on the sensitive part near her earlobe. She kissed him back until she was breathless. “Will,” she moaned, realizing that is the first time she had said his real name instead of his last name. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

“Hmm? What were you saying?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she replied with a polite smile and fell into a happy sleep.

____________

In the morning, Elizabeth was cooking breakfast. A variety of fig jams, and different cereals. It was nine o’clock in the morning, Elizabeth woke up just before Darcy had. As she was whistling and making pancakes, the batter was smeared on her face, As Darcy walked in she dropped the spoon, as he laughed and licked the batter off her face.

“You look so cute without any makeup and the bags underneath your eyes.”

“You’re so sweet when you lie.”

“I don’t lie, you’re always beautiful.”

As she leaned into him her phone buzzed. “Sorry, it’s from Jane. I’ll be right back.”

As she sat down she waited until Jane picked up. “Lizzy, are you sitting down?”

“No, I’m not, why Jane you seem worried.”

“Did you know that Lydia has been dating George Wickham?”

Lizzy put the phone on speaker as Darcy grew more concerned, his expression becoming darker at the mention of George’s name. “No, I didn’t know how did you know?”

“Well, on George’s instagram there’s a naked photo of Lydia.”

“He publicly humiliated her? Well, where is she?”

“That’s the thing, no one knows. Mom is upset and Dad is swallowing in self guilt. Is there anyway you could come home for a couple of days and help?”

“Help?” Elizabeth barely spit out, she felt the words dying in her throat and the water coming up in her throat. “What could I do? I should have never left. I’ll come home right now.”

As Lizzie hung up the phone, Darcy held her as she was speechless. She took a deep breath and looked into Darcy’s eyes. “Elizabeth, are you okay?”

“I don’t know. Jane says that Lydia has been dating George Wickham and that he leaked some nudes of Lydia online on Instagram. And who knows what else?”

“Oh my god. I’m so sorry, this is my fault.”

She shook her head and went into Darcy’s room to get the clothes from last night. “No it’s mine, if I told Lydia what you had told me. This would have never had happened. I’m so angry at myself .”

“I’m sorry,” Darcy replied demurely. “I should have let you if I had known they were fooling around….”

“I don’t know how long they had been fooling around, I don’t know if they are in love, I just know that they are somewhere in the city.”

“Let me at least drive you, you’re not thinking clearly and your car not fit to drive. Let me drive you.”

“Will, thank you. And just because I’m leaving doesn’t mean we don’t have to end this,” she replied softly. He kissed her tenderly, as she arranged her stuff into her bag.

“God, I hope not. These weeks of you being were the best that I have ever felt.”

Elizabeth and Will went to her apartment and gathered her clothes and everything that she had needed, he drove her back to the airport as they had said their goodbyes. Elizabeth didn’t want to say goodbye, she had wanted to take him with her because she left her heart with him. Even if she could tell him how she felt, what would be the point? How could she had brought Wickham back into their lives, into his life? George will always try to destroy Darcy for what he did to him, what he believes he should have never been denied his rightful living. She didn’t know what she would do to George, or even have to hack into his social media account to delete the post somehow. “You know you can’t come past security,” she said solemnly.

“I know, I wish I could.”

“I want you to know that I really don’t want to go. I was so happy with you, and how I have to go back to this emotional hell. I-I um I don’t know how to say this.”

“Umm what-what are you trying to say?” he asked, nervous and extremely excited.

“I’m trying to say that I think I love you. I have been I think for a very long time and I’m sorry that it took me a long time.”

He smiled again, so bright Elizabeth thought he would burst. “I love you, too.”

In a burst of not seeing him for a certain amount of time she kissed him fiercely until she could no longer breathe. As she walked away, she texted Jane and said she was on her way. She felt her heart stopped when she saw Jane’s screenshot of Lydia’s nudes. Her stomach hurled at the thought of someone she was once attracted to sleeping with his sister. The fact that he was going through Lydia to get to Darcy, how in the world did he know, anyway?

Did George have friends that knew somehow that were at Darcy’s parties? Every part of her wanted to wrangle George’s neck. For becoming their friend for making her love him and for making her loathe him in just a matter of minutes. She spent the rest of the time waiting to board the plane and deleting photos of George from her phone. She texted Darcy and told him she was thinking of him.

_I love you_.

Elizabeth typed the message and sent it to Will, with a warm glowing feeling in her heart.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, it's been stressful.

The car that Darcy ordered to take Elizabeth to the airport drove as quickly as he could, the ticket was already prepaid, the ride was full of anxiety. Elizabeth tried sleeping but all she could imagine was Darcy’s face and the last words she had ever said to him. She tried to focus all of her attention onto Lydia, looking through her sister’s social media account. There was one picture of her and George cuddling in bed and it made Elizabeth cringe with the flashback of Georgia. She really had wished she had never met George, had never known and had never gotten to the point in their friendship where she had trusted him so explicitly to believe that Darcy would do such a thing. George had her almost for the long run, she had almost gone out with him; she had almost believed herself in love. He was a guilty pleasure, just some eye candy that she had always adored. Darcy was so much better for her, he was so right for her in so many ways and she hoped that she would see him again.

As soon as she had gotten home Jane had come rushing to her in a full-blown hug that nearly knocked her over. Jane explained that their Dad had taken Lydia’s nude photos to heart and had been trying with several computer specialist how to take down the photos. It wasn’t just on Instagram it was also on Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and many other platforms. There was a newsletter that contained details of the photo being released online, Yahoo and Google who owned some social media platforms were trying to find a way to take down the photo. Wickham created several social media accounts in order to post the photo, but he also hacked Instagram’s social media guidelines.

As soon as Elizabeth’s dad heard of it, he told his daughter immediately for he knew Jane and herself would be the only sane minds in the entire household that would have a completely intelligent conversation with him. “How did he find a way to hack into Instagram’s firewall?”

“I don’t know but he did, and I promise my daughter’s naked body will not be online. I will put an end to, somehow.”

“How’s Mom?”

“I haven’t heard her speak, in our nearly thirty years of marriage I haven’t known that she mumbles,”

Elizabeth hid her laugh behind her hand. “On Snapchat, they allow nudes over eighteen, there isn’t a possibility that he could post it unless his friends screenshotted it.”

“I don’t know what ‘screenshotted’ means but perhaps this is what you are referring. I have gotten some police enforcements involved, and they hacked into George’s account and found a couple of friends that have commented on Lydia’s selfie that George had sent it to. His username is denny_700 but the FBI have no idea if he had sent it. They have a suspicion that it wasn’t George at all, it was one of his friends and that they have his username and password information.”

“I want to smack him, as soon as Jane told me, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Charlotte with me the whole time she was really sweet about it. She told me she’s going to try to help also, she’s really good with software and computers,” Elizabeth replied with a short breath remembering that she didn’t mention Darcy. She couldn’t allow herself to think of him, even know in temperament and in character he was exactly the man that she had wanted. She couldn’t bear talking about it to Jane, afraid that her sister would think that she was selfish, for wanting to be with Darcy instead of thinking of Lydia.

Elizabeth’s father had no idea where Lydia was, Jane suggested that Lydia was embarrassed and feeling shameful and wanted to hide out with a couple of friends. Jane revealed that Lydia was hanging out with Harriet Forster and her boyfriend. Lizzie drove immediately and asked for Lydia. Harriet hesitated, and looked nervous, pale and guilty. She blocked the door, putting the lock on the glass door.

“Please let me talk to my sister,” Elizabeth pleaded.

“She doesn’t want to talk to anyone, she’s locked herself in her room.”

“I can help, please I just want to tell her it’s not her fault.”

Harriet nodded and let out a sigh of relief. “I just wanted to protect her, I didn’t mean to take her away from her family.”

“You did the right thing,” Elizabeth said shortly with a small smile. Her chest became uneasy with worry. As she knocked on the door a small voice was sobbing in the background.

“Go away Lizzie!” Lydia replied stubbornly.

“Lydia, it’s not your fault with what happened with George. You didn’t know he was going to post it.”

“You don’t understand Lizzie, I let him take the pictures. There were several, but I didn’t know he was going to post it, I swear. I’m not that stupid. Please, I don’t have any of my friends, they all blame me for being stupid for allowing George to do that to me. Lizzie, I don’t have a life anymore.”

“Lydia, everything will be alright just open the door. I promise I won’t yell at you, I just want to talk.”

Lydia opened the door just a smidge, she looked incredibly small, she was the color of snow and lost a lot of weight. Her eyes were baggy from lack of sleep, her eyes fire engine red from crying and her hair greasy and frizzy. At the sight of seeing her sister Lydia immediately leapt into her arms. “Lizzie,” she sobbed. “I didn’t know he was going to post them. I didn’t give him permission to.”

“I believe you,” Lizzie whispered. “I promise we’ll find him.”

“Don’t take me back home yet, can we just stay here for a while?” Lydia asked demurely.

Elizabeth had never seen her sister like this, speaking so quietly just above a whisper. Her heart wasn’t broken by George but he did ruin her reputation and this was just a huge slap in the face for her. Elizabeth, for now wanted to do everything that Lydia wanted. To eat ice cream, eat lots of junk food and veg out completely. Harriet had joined them and watched as Lydia began to smile again. It was a ghost of a smile, it came rarely as Elizabeth regretted ever telling Lydia about George. She wished she was as close to Lydia as she was with Jane.

She texted Jane, saying that Lydia was with her, that she had found her and Lydia didn’t want to see anyone right now. Harriet was such a huge support, she really cared about Lydia and repeatedly made sure Elizabeth understood that. In the evening, just before the sun had came down Lydia was finally sleeping, they had just just finished a movie and Lydia had fallen asleep on Elizabeth’s lap.

Elizabeth watched her gingerly smoothing her sister’s dirty brown hair. She never realized how much she had loved Lydia til right now. She made a vow that she was always going to be there for her sister’s no matter how painfully annoying she could be. She got notifications from Will, but didn’t bother reading the messages she couldn’t focus on Will Darcy knowing that George Wickham was still breathing rejoicing that he succeeded. Darcy didn’t even try to call her, he texted her at least ten times a day but he didn’t bother coming to her house and asking to help. Even if he did, she wouldn’t want him to do that, she couldn’t let him become involved with Wickham again.

__________

Georgia’s personal post about her experiences with George Wickham was taken down, Darcy had suspected that his ex friend that hacked into the server somehow. He knew that George was good at technology and always had been, with computer science and engineering but he had never majored in it. He was self taught and Darcy had always admired his friend for that in his earlier days.

Darcy protected his sister and didn’t tell her about Elizabeth’s sister. He did tell her about the post. She came to him and told him that she had felt so useless. “You’re not useless,” Darcy assured her.”

“I’m not the best person either,” she replied.

“No, you’re not that.”

“I know already about Elizabeth’s sister,” Gigi told him bluntly.

“How did you-“

“I can find myself across the internet. I saw the post.”

“I told you to block George’s accounts-“

“I did, but I had to know. Elizabeth means so much to you, I wanted to know as well. I think I loved being with Elizabeth too, I would have loved to have a sister.”

Darcy rolled his eyes and gave her a small demure smile. “We both agreed that she needed to focus on her sister. I would just be a distraction.”

“You’re more than that to her. She said ‘I love you’ right?”

“Yeah….but she was also emotional she was mumbling and her eyes were all red. It wasn’t how I imagine I would hear those words from her for the first time.”

“Not everything is planned Will, love is not planned. You fell in love with her, but it wasn’t planned, right?”

Georgia was right. He didn’t plan it at all, and Elizabeth didn’t plan to say it either. It broke his heart to know that George was messing with Elizabeth’s life. He couldn’t let the same thing happen to Lydia. He had to do something. “I have to do something,” he mumbled and ran to pull a few strings. Everyone that he knew that could track George’s IP address. He could have been using a VPN, but if there was a chance he could have a future with Elizabeth at all, he wanted to fix this now.

George’s location could have changed the last time he had tried to find him when Gigi was staying with him. George obviously knew better than to go after Gigi again, but he went after Elizabeth’s sister. Darcy remembered Elizabeth explaining that Lydia was an energetic flirt that often lands her into trouble. He started the search in California, hoping to find George’s old home to see if he was hiding out there. He stayed in a motel for a couple of days and waited until he got the call back from his friend working in the FBI.

__________

When Lydia got home the first person to hug her was her mom. A soft hug and sweet reassurances were all around. Jane was sweetly wishing that Denny had actually posted the photo from George’s phone and not George himself. Elizabeth appreciated Jane being hopeful about the situation, but Elizabeth was realistic she knew what kind of villain George was and she knew he wasn’t capable of anything but just lies and deceit. 

“I have to believe Denny did this, but did he do it for spite George or Lydia?”

“George did this, Darcy told me he has done this before in order to get money to pay off his debts,” Elizabeth replied.

“Do you even have vacation right now? What about school?”

“I don’t care about school right now, I care about my family and Lydia. We have to find her a good therapist. She has to learn to be less impulsive not consume alcohol. There is a lot to fix here. Maybe it’s best just to drop out of school.”

“You can’t drop out of school!” Jane replied.

“I’ll go back eventually I just need so time with Lydia and Dad. Dad is taking this so much to heart.”

“Yes, he blames himself for letting Lydia give in to reckless behavior again,” Jane replied.

“It wasn’t his fault, he didn’t know this was going to happen,” Elizabeth replied sadly.

“I’m to blame a few months ago Darcy wrote me a letter explaining what George had done to Gigi.”

“I didn’t read that part of the letter that you gave me, I wanted to respect Gigi, she’s innocent just like Lydia is.”

“I won’t go far to deep into it, but George is a pedophile and I wish he’ll pay for what he’s done.”

“I hope so,” Jane replied nonchalantly.

“I can’t help thinking that Darcy must be so happy to see me away from his life. I can’t help but think that he’s hating me right now.”

“Lizzie, you don’t care about him do you?” Jane laughed.

“When I was working at Pemberley, I talked to Darcy and we dated for a while. I think I fell in love with him Jane, and being apart from him now it’s indescribable.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry LIzzie goes back to school :D

Darcy was confused by doing two things, either yelling at Lizzie for dropping out of school for helping her sister or kiss her until her lips turned blue. She was the most unselfish person he could ever meet. He didn’t think he deserved loving her so much. After turning into Elizabeth’s driveway, she came spurring out, gained a little weight and was in sweatpants, with a blue crop shirt. She came to him naturally and took his hand. 

“You have no idea how happy I am to see you?”

“Are you okay? Did you have a mental breakdown?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Jane told me talking about you dropping out of school to take care of Lydia,” Darcy replied as softly as he could but with a bit of edge. “What were you thinking?”

“I’m thinking of taking care of my family first,” Elizabeth replied sadly. 

“What about your education? I’ll drive you back right now.”

“I’ll go back when Lydia is out of therapy,” Elizabeth replied in a small voice as she set on the stoop of her stairs. Darcy took her hand and held it gently. “She’s been crying so much she doesn’t want to even show her face.”

“I’m going to find him one day and I’m going to kill him. He has to be somewhere. As any of the FBI or any of the other pompous government groups been helping?”

“He’s hidden his wifi address really well, we’ve been close a couple of times, but nothing as happened. I wouldn’t want you to do anything with Wickham again, or Georgia, if her letter doesn’t make a difference what are you going to do?”

“I have connections,” Darcy replied matter-of-factly. “and my family also happens to be with the FBI. I know you’re not dating me for my connections or my family but take advantage of them, I’m offering them to you. Can you stop being stubborn?”

“I’m being stubborn Mr. My Good Opinion Once Lost is Lost Forever?” Elizabeth replied bitterly. 

“I love you, I just want to help and respect your family, please.”

“Fine, but don’t tell me what you’re doing,” she replied stubbornly. 

Smiling a little, he kissed her softly. “Is your father inside?”

“Yes he is, and I love you too.”

__________  
The money Darcy gave to Elizabeth’s dad was to improve the technology that he was using really came in handy. Elizabeth listened intently to Darcy filling in the details to her father, and nothing was to be a debt. Elizabeth knew her father had payed off loans, from the house and from other loans that she didn’t bother worrying about. What she had worried about was the amount of money Darcy had put down. 

As Darcy came out, he had a relieved look on his face, his usual turtle neck scarf, holding his check book. “Pemberley Works can lose a couple of a thousand,” Darcy said nonchalantly. 

“Are you serious?” Elizabeth sputtered out. “You can’t just..”

“I can, and I will, Lydia deserves some peace, and I will find a way to find his account and delete those photos personally.”

“Is there anyway I can thank you?” she asked with a knowing smile, tugging on his turtleneck. 

“But there is still Lydia and George and isn’t the timing off?”

“Is there anything I can do to thank you?” she asked, as Darcy’s arms snaked around her. 

“I can think of some ways,” Darcy replied as Elizabeth kissed him softly and then leaned in to the kiss letting Darcy take the lead. It up to a point where Elizabeth was looking for a room.   
“Let’s go to my apartment.”

_____________

Elizabeth locked the door behind her, as Darcy began to trail kisses down her neck. “Is there any chance Georgia will be here?”

With his lips swollen and his hair slightly ruffled, he shook his head. “I wanted you for a long time, it’s been a couple of weeks.”

“I know, I should be home in the morning for the investigation, okay?”

He nodded quickly as Elizabeth took the ridiculous amount of layers. Her own arousal had been coming for some time and had become almost unbearable at Darcy grinding against her entrance. Rising over him like a queen, he watched as she had undid her t-shirt that had all been been clingy to her body. Her body glowed with the excitement and the adrenaline that she snaked down in all her natural body for all it was, and he was in awe of what she was in all her shapes and imperfections.   
Darcy was always careful about everything and he was always sure he had condoms with him, enough though for just one night. Although the notion made Elizabeth laugh and ridiculed him for it, but she understood, they had not seen each other for a couple of weeks and Darcy’s ardent actions made Elizabeth understood that, in fact she welcomed it and loved his caresses. She was incredulous at first, but then knowing Darcy’s social skills at his first impressions weren’t the best and of course his letter. 

Waking up in the morning just in her bathrobe and her slip from her nightgown, she smelled fresh coffee in Darcy’s convenient kitchen. There was even a waffle maker, making fresh waffles that filled Elizabeth’s nose with the sweet smell of a perfect morning. “This is my definition of everything perfect.”

“I don’t normally cook, usually Georgia’s secret talent is cooking, I only know how to use the waffle maker, and coffee.”

Like a little girl Elizabeth squealed at the mention of coffee and took a mouthful, even though it was burning a little. “A little hot, but perfect.”

“A little milk and cream?”

“You drink it black?”

“Yes,” he replied hesitantly waiting for Elizabeth to make fun of him once again. 

“You wear turtle necks showing no skin and now no milk?” she replied, as his worst fear was realized. “Do you do anything out of the ordinary?”

“Will you let me help you? You go back to school and let me and your father take care of it.”  
“I don’t want you to feel as though I can’t do anything,” she replied demurely. 

“Of course you can, you did so much already,” he replied as he kissed her on her forehead. 

_________  
Darcy, respected the law, but he found being with his friends at the police station extremely dull and boring. His thorough knowledge of technology was merely the Steve Jobs compared to the IBM of the police agents. He saw the Bennet profile in the corner of his eye covered in crumbs of danishes, and piles of other important papers. Near the computer, he saw his friend Luke Forester coming with his cup of coffee, Darcy couldn’t help but mock his friend of his cliche view of what a police station looked like. 

“Will, it’s good to see you. I’m helping with a case you’re involved in, would you mind tell me why I’ve giving you private information?”

“It’s personal, it’s my girlfriend’s sister. Couldn’t you just say to your boss it’s a family matter?”

“I can pull a couple of strings,” Luke replied. “now from what you told me over text it sounds as though a picture got on Instagram that shouldn’t have.”

“Have you talked to Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger?” Darcy asked. “I’ve been talking to them about adding more security in their coding and more specific guidelines which will soon to be converted into rules.”

“Isn’t rules going too far?” Luke laughed, noticing that his friend wasn’t he nodded. “I’ll make sure that that explicit photo is deleted.”

“Thank you, and soon, please. This tiny mix up is why Elizabeth and I are together, I wanted to give her space and I need to make amends, we had bad first impressions and though I’m sure all is forgiven; first impressions are lasting. I kept information, private information that should have been useful-“

“You’re ranting Will, I understand. I know as well as Charlie that you don’t always make the best first impression.”

Will knew this, but insuring his friends help he was one step away from having a future with Elizabeth. 

____________  
Elizabeth picked Lydia up from her therapist. She had a milkshake for her and some good news, there was some success was Will has tracked George’s wifi address with the success from some of his connections. Elizabeth wasn’t sure if Lydia was ready to move on form any mention of George without crying. After a week of not wearing makeup, she showed up wearing a little blush and a pink lipgloss. 

“Hey, how are you doing?”

“I’m better,” Lydia replied nonchalantly with a small smile. “hey what have you got there?”

“I’ve got a text recently from Darcy saying that they found George, thanks to him he pulled a couple of strings and they are going to find him.”

“Really?” Lydia asked pulling a small smile that soon turn into crying.”I’m sorry, I thought I would stop crying.”

Elizabeth broke out into a small cry too and pulled Lydia close to her. 

“You are most definitely allowed to cry, it’s not a crime but things are coming closer together and I promise I will not let George ruin anyone else.”

“I’m so sorry I let him ruin me, it’s all my fault I let him come back into our lives.”

“Oh God Lydia, it wasn’t your fault or mine or Darcy’s it was just bad luck. George was charming and hard to resist, he was a life-long friend of ours and you liked him.”

“I love you big sis,” Lydia replied sweetly and Elizabeth thought it was the first time that Lydia had said something sweet for once without the undertone of sarcasm. 

___________  
“She told you that?” Jane repeated on the phone. 

“I was crying too,” Elizabeth replied softly. “it was a really big step for her. She didn’t mention George the ride home, I really think she was making progress.”

“And you’re back at school?”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes thankful that she not in her old room. “Yes, I’m back. Darcy fixed everything, I don’t know if I’m ever going to repay him.”

“How did he help?”  
“He had tracked George’s wifi address, he’s pulling strings he’s as close to perfect.”

“I’m glad you’re happy.”


	19. Chapter 19

Elizabeth let Darcy take the reins- reluctantly, she let him handle the business of Lydia while she took her sister to therapy sessions. Elizabeth’s Dad was proud of her handling the situation. Darcy felt that he should confront George, and he begged Luke to take him along the ride. Elizabeth asking however also was a bit of a stretch.

“Why do you want to go?” he asked, as Elizabeth looked at him dumbfounded as if why shouldn’t she want to go?

“Why wouldn’t I want to go?”

“I know you, as much as I want to do the same, I can’t let you.”

“What do you think I’ll do?”

“What wouldn’t you do? You’re involved with me and Gigi, and you’ve been friends with him for as long as I have.”

Elizabeth nodded, understanding even if she still wanted to smack George in the face. She was usually a calm person, but for George she could make a few exceptions. Darcy was usually much better at being nonchalant and controlling his emotions she had trusted him wholeheartedly. He kissed her in a spontaneous moment, just for the fact that she had hated George has much as he did. “Lizzie, you are incredible and if it wasn’t for your temper, I would allow you to come with you. Two tempers and one man I think George might kill himself.”

Elizabeth smirked but her face remained calmed and serious. “That’s an idea.”

“I promise I will put him in jail, Luke is a good friend he took a lot of risks for me to do this.”

As Elizabeth opened the door to his car, she put her arms on the window. “It’s not just George, I’m worried about you too, I’m afraid you might be so overwhelmed by anger and hatred that you’ll do something impulsive.”

“That I understand, I will keep you updated.”

As Darcy drove off, but the words didn’t ease Elizabeth’s worry.

_________

George knew someway or other that Darcy would find him, he was finding the cheapest hotels he could find; he deleted his social media accounts, and tried using a VPN to block his wifi address. Lydia was just a fling, nothing more. He had done this often, just too scrambled in his mind to sit still, jumping from girl to girl to care about where he had ended up. He often came off as charming and his relationships with his girlfriend’s parents often lead to paying off debts. When a falling out occurred, he left unexpectedly not giving any explanation. By far his favorite family to ruin were the Bennets, Lydia was by far the easiest victims to trap, was young and vulnerable from Elizabeth constantly pressing her to improve. Wickham and simply just told her what she had needed to hear during that time and gained her trust and affection. Lydia, who was too young to understand the difference between love and lust, but she thought it was and that made the heartbreak for her even harder.

Every siren made Wickham’s heart jump with the anticipation that someone was going to jump on him. He knew at least that if Darcy found him, he would have to bribe him. Of course that would only last for a few weeks, because he would gamble it all away soon but at least it would pay off his debts for a while. His friend had screenshotted Lydia’s nudes while he was intoxicated, George didn’t even notice. He lost respect for himself and lost respect for humanity along the way, the only person he thought he could truly care about was Georgia if he hadn’t been so impulsive. She could have made him better if Darcy hadn’t interfered.

It was too predictable and too good to be true to have Darcy come rushing towards him with the sirens blown his eardrum. He put his hands up as he looked nonchalantly. “Darcy, nice to see you old man.”

Darcy grimaced, his expression unreadable. “Come on, you should know the drill by now.”

“You’re playing bad cop now are you? You have a little kid on your own haven’t you? What is Elizabeth almost twenty-two?”

“CAN YOU SHUT UP FOR A MINUTE?” Darcy yelled as Wickham blinked hearing the silence that yelled to loudly in his ears.

“You ruined my life-“

“Well, same here. You went after my sister, and then my girlfriend’s family.”

“I can’t believe that anyone would want to date a snobbish good doer,” George scoffed as he felt his hands twisted into the cuffs.

Darcy groaned and put his face in his palms, as he watched his old friend being sent away. Feeling the relief coming in, Darcy took his phone and dialed Elizabeth’s home number. He told her the news, but there was one request that they were both afraid they might have never agreed on. It concerned Jane’s feelings about Charlie, how Charlie often felt discouraged from Jane’s lack of showing affection. When Jane repeated her story about her ex-boyfriend, Charlie claimed he was drunk the night she told him so he didn’t remember. They spoke again during the following weeks, following through as many misunderstandings as Darcy and Elizabeth had during the previous year. Jane and Charlie built a friendship first, working from the ground up making sure they weren’t keeping secrets from each other.

Fulfilling his promise, Darcy came back into Elizabeth’s life and heart. She welcomed him back with open arms and put her heart on her sleeve. She had often hid behind her dry wit, humor, reading and writing. Darcy often joked that she could have come and work for him, but she had warned him that since they were so in love and so close that the work would drive a wedge between them.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh no enthusiastic mother alert. Sorry for the late chapter.  
> And thank you for sharing this story it nearly has 3,000 hits! Thank you for who are all reading you guys make me happy.

“I’m afraid this is a subject on which we both disagree on,” Darcy said over coffee just as soon as he told her than that Wickham would be in prison for twenty years, the police were still gathering evidence of other incidents that Elizabeth had no interest in hearing.

“What is it?”

“Charlie is thinking of asking Jane for a second chance and I was advising him against it.”

Elizabeth nearly spit out her coffee. “Why? Why would you do that? What gives you the right to interfere in people’s happiness?”

He laughed a little sardonically; it annoyed Elizabeth so much that she had kicked him underneath the table. “No, Elizabeth, against my judgement I had misjudged your sister. I only thought of how I behaved around you, being in love with you as I was, I didn’t tell you how I feel. Even if Jane didn’t express it, still it gave me no right to interfere and I’m sorry for that. I want to do some interfering with the best of intentions and I want your help.”

Elizabeth blinked, she smiled and kissed him fervently, letting her tongue slip into his mouth. He had traced the hair had threatened to fall onto her face and kissed her cheek. “Oh, thank you,”

He let out a small smile. “Your welcome. I respect Jane and I respect you, and I want her to be happy.”

Sitting down she finished her coffee. “You’re a good man, William Darcy.”

_________________

Jane had missed Charlie, their conversations and their time together had often been like old times as spending time together at Netherfield Hotel. The familiar sting of Charlie’s sudden departure from Jane’s life made her doubt that he was still constant. Elizabeth and Darcy both encourage their friends, such as going to dinners together.

Elizabeth and Darcy took them together and often made excuses to leave them alone. Their friends usually helped to fill in the awkwardness, Charlie and Jane felt as though they didn’t have much left to talk about. Charlie however found the courage to admit his true feelings, if he didn’t say it now he would never say it to anyone again.

“Jane, I would like to be given a second chance.”

“I can’t give you one Charlie, you broke my heart. You whispered promises to me and then you broke them.”

“I don’t want to every break one again, I want to love you- that was stupid I do love you. I loved you when we were apart and I’ll love you even more now.”

“Those words mean nothing to me.”

“Jane, you’re too sweet I know it. You’ll never hold a grudge against me for too long.”

Jane looked nervously down at the floor of the restaurant. She got up and walked over to Charlie’s side; she took his hand and sighed deeply. “I don’t think we could pick up where we left off. I think we both a new slate, I’m different from I was when you knew me. We’ll take it slow.”

He held out his hand. “You do want to be with me don’t you?”

Jane chuckled at him for being doubtful and took out his held out hand. “Of course I do."

_____________

Elizabeth called her mom to tell her that Jane was back together with Charlie. Her mom, being the same had ranted for a full twenty minutes about how many grandchildren she wanted to have. She also had planned for Elizabeth and Darcy’s wedding and started calling stores for dresses. Elizabeth put her mother’s voice under her pillow after hearing her rant for several minutes. Darcy came into her room after going in the shower and reached for Elizabeth’s robe by mistake which resulted in a hilarious fit from Elizabeth.

“We have to be quiet,” Elizabeth told him.

Darcy flushed easily, whenever he laughed it was always with Elizabeth, he never laughed without her. It was like a piece of him was missing; she had changed him and he didn’t want to experience anything without her.

“Elizabeth? Who is that man that is with you?”

Elizabeth looked from Darcy and turned her attention back to her phone. “Just a friend mom.”

“Elizabeth Bennet, you better not be lying to me.”

Elizabeth sighed and took Darcy’s hand as if trying to protect him from her overbearing mom. “I’m actually dating Will Darcy mom.”

Mrs. Bennet screamed happily. “Will Darcy! Oh that man is so rich you will be so lucky if you ever get married! Oh, my goodness I knew you would always snag a rich husband.”

Elizabeth embarrassed covered her face with her hands mumbling apologies to Darcy as she let her mom continue. “Are you going to bring him to dinner? I have never fully met him and I would like to.”

“I don’t know, maybe one day," Elizabeth replied hesitantly. 

“Well, don’t be a stranger, love you.”

“Love you too,” Elizabeth replied as she groaned and let her head fall into Darcy’s lap.


	21. Chapter 21

Darcy chuckled as he gently stroked Elizabeth’s hair as if she was a dog not wanting to take her medicine. She slowly got up and groaned loudly. “Dinner with my parents. You don’t understand, my mother embarrasses herself and our family. She was completely oblivious to Lydia’s behavior and my Dad would prefer a book to actual company he has very questionable social skills.”

“Sounds perfect,” Darcy smirked. “from living a such a mundane life being with your family I think will add a little adventure.”

“Please don’t tell me you actually have the patience to survive something like meeting my parents,” Elizabeth said with some level of disgust.

“I only have that much patience because I’m in love with you,” he replied warmly. “but I would like to receive some credit that I am a decent man.”

“I love you too,” she told him. “and you are only a much better man than I thought you were.”

“Lizzie, come here please,” he told her huskily. He took her hand and led her to his lap. “Be mine, please. Always.”

“Yes, always. I’ve never never known love like this.”

“This is it, you and me always.”

She agreed. 

_______

Darcy drove Elizabeth back to school. As soon as she came back the most unexpected visitor came. Caroline Bingley was sitting with her arms crossed and her legs tight showing her beautiful fake tanned skinny legs. Elizabeth put her key back in her pocket, after graduating form college she had put in money for graduate school and her first semester started. She had a mountain of student loans but Darcy was guiding her through it. In the long haul she hated having debts, but she had wanted to go get her master’s degree.

“Caroline, what are you doing here?”

“I came here to pry Darcy away from you. I had just come back from downstairs from talking with him since he refused to break up with you and I’m here to plead that you break up with him.”

“I’m sorry how do you have permission to decide who I’m supposed to date?”

Caroline groaned and walked towards Lizzie unfortunately having a height advantage over her. “Darcy was mine, I almost had him and you ruined everything!” she screamed like a petulant child. 

“Well I’m sorry-no wait no I am not sorry that Darcy chose me over you. You have no right to tell me to leave him. I love him, yes love him,and I won’t have you dictate my life. Now if you don’t mind I have a class in a half an hour.”

“I will get you for this Lizzie Bennet, you have ruined my life!”

“Darcy chose me and that is not my fault,” Elizabeth replied pointedly. “now get out and leave me alone.”

Caroline, seeing no reason to continue the discussion further, she left the school as Elizabeth let out of sigh of relief. 

Weekends filled with more studying than Elizabeth was used too, during Christmas break Elizabeth spent her vacation with Gigi and Darcy. The Darcys had a ski house and Elizabeth had not been the best at at skiing, or at any sports. In fact when she told Jane, her sister had started laughing. Her mind had come alive to the touch of knowledge, she would prefer a book to any form of sport. As Darcy had picked her up from the school, his smile could light up a whole galaxy if all the suns were to die. She still felt the butterflies in her stomach when she saw him, as she sat up front with him he looked more nervous then she had ever seen him. 

When they had first met she noticed how uncomfortable he was in the beginning. It was not such a surprise. When she went to go to her room, he stopped to kiss her. “I don’t think I have ever seen you like this in a long time.”

“Like what?” he asked accusingly. 

“You’re uncomfortable, and it’s very strange.”

“Let me just unpack and I’ll be right in the kitchen,” he replied with a small smile. 

Elizabeth followed the smell of cooking from the kitchen, she saw Gigi talking on Facetime with her boyfriend. She knew Darcy had been reluctant to trust anyone since Wickham, and Elizabeth felt the same about the situation. When she was at Pemberley Gigi had become a sister to her, and even like friends. As she had entered the rooms Gigi had put down her phone, and Elizabeth could understand that she wanted to keep the relationship to Darcy for herself for a few weeks the intensity of emotions and hormones, as if it was her little secret. 

“Oh it’s beautiful here,” Lizzie said as she had opened the curtains and felt the warm winter sun on her face. 

Darcy’s large footsteps came from behind her, as Gigi left the room. Two arms slid from behind her as he kissed her softly on the cheek. “I’ve been thinking about us recently.”

“You have?”

“I love our sleepovers and I was wondering if you can leave some of your belongings at my apartment? So you don’t have to bring everything entirely?”

Elizabeth kissed him gently. “Really is that what you want?”

“Yes,” he told her truthfully as they looked out at the horizon towards their future. 

FIN

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave comments and kudos.


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